There are few things more exciting than new developments and innovations making sustainable energy resources all the more accessible, especially when one considers the absolute necessity of drastically reducing carbon emissions with the goal of keeping climate change at bay. One of most recent –- and also one of the most impressive –- innovations in the field of solar energy comes from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where newly developed photovoltaic cells hold a great deal of promise for the future of sustainable energy and may be particularly beneficial for the widespread adoption of solar energy systems within Australia.
MIT researchers have successfully created solar cells so thin and so light that the cells could rest atop a soap bubble without disturbing the bubble in any significant way. This development has incredibly positive implications for future use in Australia, where the need for thin and lightweight solar cells is perhaps more pronounced than in other markets. The cells developed by MIT, of course, are intended mainly for use in handheld devices such as smartphones and the like, but the mere fact that photovoltaic solar cell technology can be reduced on this scale makes it likely that cells designed for other purposes can be similarly reduced in size and weight.
The cell also had an exceptional power-to-weight ratio, which is quite an important development for functions in which the weight of the solar cell has a clear effect on other design elements as well as functionalities. It will take a relatively lengthy period of time before solar cells like these are available on the market, but progress such as this demonstrates just how quickly the sustainability industry is able to address even the slightest inefficiency or limitation. For Australians, the possibilities for future sustainable development seem increasingly limitless, especially when innovations like this solar cell begin to find a way to the market for widespread implementation and use.