When solar cells converge with the Japanese paper art form of kirigami, the result is something beautiful. The combination of the two creates light-weight state-of-the-art solar cells that can track the sun, capturing up to 40 percent more energy than conventional solar cells. While solar panels that move along with the sun already exist, these have relied on motorized trackers that are too heavy to be placed on residential rooftops where by far most solar panel installations are. To make them smaller and lighter, researchers borrowed from the ideas of kirigami to condense the solar panel into many small solar cells within a larger one. The small cells can then tilt and spread apart based on where the sun’s rays are coming from, allowing them to absorb more sunlight. Who said scientists can’t be artistic?
Lightweight solar cells draw inspiration from Japanese art and move with the sun
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