How Flexible Solar Panels Could Make Solar Energy Competitive?

Harry Atwater, a professor at Caltech, said the way to make solar cells competitive with fossil fuels is doing to be thin and flexible. It is not the first to sing the praises of flexible solar cells, but people usually suggests its potential applications to tents and backpacks, which do not do much to reduce carbon emissions or fossil fuel use. Atwater likes for its potential to reduce shipping costs and installation.

Unlike the rigid panels today, the kind of encapsulated solar panels and flexible solar panels do not have to be protected by rigid frames for shipping, so they take up much less space, reducing shipping costs. They are also lighter, making them easier to install. As suggested another way to reduce installation costs, utilize agricultural equipment provided laser levels to quickly install large areas of flexible solar panels, as some plastic sheets are used for modern agriculture.

How Flexible Solar Panels Could Make Solar Energy Competitive?