Technology

I mean, even if it's easy to do, that doesn't mean a manufacturing process is easy to ramp up. You need equipment to produce it, and people to do it. Logistics of that isn't like just turning on/off a light switch.

To echo the other individual who replied, it’s shockingly easy to make injection molded parts, but there is usually a long process before you bring the final product to market. And that’s with all the manufacturing processes already existing at scale.

In this case, the processes need to be fleshed out from scratch, which adds even more time to the ramp up. So even if the headline is 100% accurate, and there are no other roadblocks, it would still take a significant chunk of time to bring to market.

They should have just used "hella-thin".

Lol I thought the same thing on first read. Then again "micro thin" sounds redundant..

Since 1975, which is as far back as I can remember with this stuff.

I'm sure my parents would say the same.

bro i can run LED lights by putting wires inside my body

I don't think it's so much about thickness, but being super thin presumably means it requires less of a manufacturing process and also less raw materials. Could bring costs down on panels and make them more financially viable for projects.

Although the cells can only generate half the energy per unit area compared to traditional silicon panels, they can generate 18 times more power per kilogram, Fast Company reported.

For most users, I'd guess that unit area is more important. But for satellites, I suppose that as long as they can unfold, space isn't really an issue. You've got all of outer space to spread out into. But weight determines a lot of the cost of putting the thing up in space, so you'd like that to be low.

Use cases increase if they are thin. Instead of limited to rooftops. For example, take a look at what Aptera is doing.

Clearly you've never ~~owned an air fryer~~ wanted a solar powered car. Or imagine shipping containers covered in these powering the trucks that haul them! Or trains! Even boats. Basically any kind of self powered transit, especially ones with greater surface area.

Second edit: Another idea! Clingfilm solar panels for windows, or blinds and curtains that can power the lights!

Or wind turbines skinned in thin, light, flexible solar panels. You'd double dip on energy per square meter. You could have a solar farm on a stick that also makes wind energy.

First, the thickness factor plays into flexibility. Just imagine surfaces of every shape being covered in solar cells. Flexible panels could also be less prone to breakage.

Second, with "as rapid as printing a newspaper", this might be a major cost-reduction thing, even on top of the process needing less high-pure Si material.

This might make solar power generation more attractive even if the efficiency would be lower than other methods, because this would drive the ratio $/kw down.

Bulky, heavy, stiff, ....

It's a different process. Multiple processes with varied applications are absolutely essential to making this style of solar the norm

It's a great thing that this particular field continues to see innovation.

New process

Scientists used electronic printable inks, using a technique similar to how designs are printed on t-shirts. As these thin solar cells are difficult to handle and can tear easily, scientists searched for a lightweight, flexible, and resilient material that could adhere to those solar cells. The fabric they chose was Dyneema Composite Fabric, a material known for its incredible strength.

After printing the electrodes on a flat sheet of plastic, they glued the sheet of plastic on Dyneema. Lastly, they peeled away the fabric, which has picked up the electrodes, leaving a clean sheet of plastic behind.

Your linked process:

The organic solar cells being deployed have been printed on laminated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic by a printer formerly used for wine labels.

The 18 metre long ultralight and ultraflexible strips are similar in thickness and appearance to a chip packet, the university team have said.