4 Convenient & Sustainable Solar Panel Innovations to Know
Novel methods for consumers to generate solar energy are booming. In 2023, solar panels had the largest global installation rate among renewable technologies, amounting to 1.41 terawatts (Statista, 2024) – about 1% of the world’s primary energy use (The Economist, 2024). Stylus highlights four notable innovations making renewable energy generation accessible to the wider public.
Convenient Plug-In Panels
In Germany, easy-to-install lightweight solar panels for balconies are especially popular. Over 500,000 plug-in solar systems have been installed since 2022 (mostly on balconies), with 220,000 in the first half of 2024 (Euro News, 2024). Noting regional interest, Swiss solar panel manufacturer Meyer Burger launched a balcony solar system specifically for the German market. The solar panels are manufactured in Germany and are customisable to any size. See also German renewable energy company We Do Solar’s photovoltaic solar panels for balconies, as highlighted in Meet the Eco-Pragmatists.
See-Through Solar
Japanese solar panel manufacturer InQs presented its SQPV window glass at CES 2024, which is able to generate electricity from sunlight and indoor lights from both sides of the glass. The solar glass could also be used in screens or smartphone displays to power electronic devices.
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Printable Solar Cells
Japanese tech company Panasonic has developed Perovskite solar cells (efficient, low-cost, transparent solar cells) that can be produced by an inkjet printer. The company aims to use the technology to print the solar cells onto glass windows, walls and facades to turn these surfaces into energy generators.
Energy On the Go
US-based renewable energy equipment manufacturer Jackery has announced the production (starting late 2024) of a solar generator rooftop tent that is assembled on top of a car. The retractable panels should produce up to 1,000 watts when the tent is open and facing south.
This article was first posted on Stylus.com on August 27.