Kirigami-inspired Solar Cells Can Track The Sun

Basic science tells us that the Earth rotates around the sun. This means that as far as solar panels are concerned, there is only so much time in a day that they can gather power. However given the position of the sun and the way panels are positioned, sometimes the collection of power isn’t optimal either.

In the past what some have done is install motorized assemblies to allow these panels to track the sun. However researchers at the University of Michigan have come up with an even better and more lightweight solution based on the ancient Japanese cut-paper art of kirigami, which you can see in the video above.

Basically these are not your typical flat solar panels. These are solar panels curved and cut sheets of Kapton plastic with solar cells already adhered to it. What this means is that these cells can be placed under a photovoltaic panel and instead of the entire panel having to shift to track the sun, all that needs to happen is that the cells will have to move to track the sun.

According to Associate Professor Max Shtein, “We think it has significant potential, and we’re actively pursuing realistic applications. It could ultimately reduce the cost of solar electricity.” That being said it is unclear as to when we will start seeing the new setup in solar panels, but without doubt it is an interesting idea.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Green
Tags: Solar