A new alternative is in the works from a company called Ubiquitous Energy.  The R&D team there is currently developing a translucent solar cell, called ClearView Power.  Picture a thin film like traditional solar cells, but clear enough to read a printed page through when laid on top of it.  The current target market is the origin or manufacture, with companies like Apple and Samsung building the film right into the display, thus proving a passive charge in the right lighting situations.  

Now picture the other possibilities in that kind of technology outside the portable-electronic market.  How much energy could be saved in a large office building with this film applied to the outside of its windows?  Could the range of hybrid or all-electric vehicles be increased in the same way?  If the film is flexible enough it could even be applied to the outer surface of the vehicle itself.  

While ClearView Power is still in the prototype stage, the possibilities are undeniable and potentially game-changing.   

What other uses can you think of for flexible translucent solar cells?  Tell us in our Forum

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