The brainiacs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology have done it again! Several weeks ago during a study, MIT figured out an inexpensive way to print solar panels onto plastic, paper, and fabric. The process is akin to the way any bag of Lay’s Potato Chips is made; layers of “inks” are printed repeatedly and layered until they form the desired material. However, in the case of the solar materials, they eventually form patterns of solar cells.
The process that is used to make materials with solar panels ingrained in them is not only inexpensive, it also makes the material durable. During testing, MIT students found that solar paneled paper could be folded and unfolded 1,000 times without loosing the ability to absorb energy. The video below shows part of this test as well as the energy readings from the fabric while the test is being performed.
The promise of being able to create our own energy and sustain ourselves has never been closer to fruition. At this point, we have nothing left to do but sit back, and wait for this fabric to be available on J&O‘s shelves.
