Common solar panels that are made of silicon are energy-intensive to produce, heavy and inflexible. That is why researchers started designing cheaper and more flexible solar energy materials based on flexible organic materials e.g. plastic that can be printed from inks. A possible output of the research could be transparent solar modules in windows, large scale electricity-generators or integration into cloting. Still, there are challenges that makes it difficult for them to compete with silicon panels. Especially organic solar panels lack stability and include toxic elements like lead.
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