homehome Home chatchat Notifications


Solar cells twist and turn to catch more sun during the day

An innovative 'kirigami' design allows solar cells to flex and twist to follow the sun throughout the day. This means 20 to 40 percent more energy per year generate than cells stacked in fixed panels you see on rooftops. The design is based on origami, with the addition of cutting besides from folding.

Tibi Puiu
September 11, 2015 @ 7:47 am

share Share

An innovative ‘kirigami’ design allows solar cells to flex and twist to follow the sun throughout the day. This means 20 to 40 percent more energy per year generate than cells stacked in fixed panels you see on rooftops. The design is based on origami, with the addition of cutting besides from folding.

twisted solar cells

Image: UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

Tracking arrays for solar panels aren’t new. They’ve been used for decades and typically consist of a frame actuated by motors that tilt the axis of the panel in conjunction with the sun’s path from east to west. However, the additional system is expensive, takes up a lot of space and is often unpractical as far as rooftop solar panels are concerned. These makeup 80% of all installation.

twisting solar cells University of Michigan engineers have thought of a solution. Instead of mounting the solar panels on top of a revolving axis, they’ve found a way to twist and turn the PV cells inside the solar panel directly.  The prototype consists of flexible solar cells made of gallium arsenide which were cut in a precise pattern. When both ends are pulled at the same time, the structure morphs and attains a desired slope. Crucially, each flexible patch tilts in a way that doesn’t cast a shadow on the adjacent cell. The “waviness” doesn’t affect the performance of the cell in any way, either.

Though it’s just a prototype and the researchers need to solve some challenges, like how to stack cells, protect them from the environment and include a reliable motor, the proof of concept is definitely impressive. It could up efficiency by at least 20% and multiplied with hundreds of millions of solar panels, this would amount to a lot of extra energy into the mix.

share Share

Tesla’s Sales in Europe Are Plummeting Because of Elon Musk's Borderline Fascist Politics

Tesla’s sales plunge across Europe as EV buyers turn elsewhere

How dogs and cats are evolving to look alike and why it’s humans’ fault

Human fashion can be as powerful as millions of years of evolution – and it’s harming our pets.

Mathematicians Just Solved a 125-Year-Old Problem That Unites Three Major Theories of Physics

A new mathematical proof connects atoms to ocean waves and jet streams.

Nature Built a Nuclear Reactor 2 Billion Years Ago — Here’s How It Worked

Billions of years ago, this uranium went a bit crazy.

Archaeologists Discover 1,800-Year-Old Roman Cavalry Horse Cemetery in Germany

These horses served the Roman Empire and were buried with military precision.

What Your Emoji Use Really Says About You, According to Science

If you use a lot of emojis, you'll want to read this.

How Declassified Cold War Satellite Images Are Helping Find Bombs and Mines Buried for Decades in Southeast Asia

Old spy satellites and new AI help unearth the hidden bombs of Southeast Asia.

Your Brain Data May be Up For Sale and It's Totally Legal (For Now), Say U.S. Senators

Lawmakers warn brainwave data could expose mental health and be sold without consent.

6 Genetic Myths Still Taught in Schools (That Science Says Are Wrong)

Many traits we learn as 'genetic facts' are more folklore than fact.

This Indigenous Group Doesn’t Sing to Babies or Dance—and It’s Reshaping Anthropology

Cultural trauma and loss can silence even the most human of traditions.