Every day, Anicet Mbida makes us discover an innovation that could well change the way we consume.
This Thursday, he presents a new generation of so-called "organic" solar panels which can be applied like paint on the facade of a building, the body of a car or the shell of a cell phone.
We are innovating in photovoltaics this morning. A new generation of solar panels will soon land, it could change everything since it can be applied like paint.
This means that it will be much easier to cover the facade of a building, the body of a car or the shell of a cell phone.
In short, objects of any shape and size.
Because the big problem with current solar panels is that they are rigid and heavy.
On the roofs, they need support.
They are therefore very expensive to install and maintain.
But a new generation of solar panels is coming.
So-called "organic" solar panels.
We will be able to print them on a kind of wallpaper or mix them with a paste to apply them on a wall or an object such as paint.
It will therefore be more versatile and above all much less expensive.
Are we still at the research stage or are we approaching commercial products?
In fact, we will be working on these solar inks and paints for six or seven years, in laboratories around the world.
They are already working very well.
Problem: so far, the yields were very poor (halved or three compared to traditional panels).
So they have never been commercially profitable.
But a team of researchers from KIST, the Korean institute of science and technology, has just found a method to dry the famous solar paint while losing a minimum of yield.
This is a major breakthrough in the sector, because it could finally launch their marketing.
However, to develop photovoltaics, it will not be easier than painting solar panels.