Paper solar refers to extremely thin solar cells that are produced using inkjet printing technology directly onto a sheet of paper.
How Paper Solar Cells are Made
Unlike traditional rigid or flexible solar panels, paper solar cells are created through a process involving inkjet printing. This method allows the solar cell material to be deposited in thin layers onto a paper substrate. The result is solar cells that are exceptionally thin, earning them the description "paper thin."
Potential Advantages of Paper Solar Technology
Based on the production method described, paper solar cells offer significant potential benefits:
- Cost-Effectiveness: Producing solar cells using inkjet printing on paper has the potential to make them much cheaper compared to conventional solar cell manufacturing processes and materials.
- Versatile Placement: Their paper-thin nature and potentially low cost allow these solar cells to be placed almost anywhere, opening up possibilities for integrating solar energy harvesting into new applications and locations that were previously impractical for bulkier or more expensive solar technology.
This innovative approach leverages common materials (paper) and accessible manufacturing techniques (inkjet printing) to create a novel form of solar energy capture.
