Brazilian-made Plastic Solar Panels

       Brazilians emphasize upon increasing their knowledge in terms of green technology research and have concluded to discover and develop plastic solar panels, which can help revolutionize power generation from such an amazing source of energy.

Tiago Maranhao Alves holding a strip of newly developed plastic solar panel

      This solar panel may seem like it is a thin sheet of plastic, but it is actually a solar panel covered with photovoltaic cells, which converts sunlight into electricity. Unlike other heavy and costly silicon-based solar panels commonly used in society today, this plastic solar panel was created by scientists at CSEM Brazil, a research institute in the southeastern state of Brazil, Minas Gerais.
      These solar panels are similar to transparent sheets of plastic with stripes where they printed with carbon-based organic polymers, in that they were made by incorporating organic photovoltaic cells into common polymers. The technology to produce the organic photovoltaic cells has been studied in Europe and the United States, but Brazil has made further development usage pertaining to the technology.
      "While the capacity for power generation is almost the same, its small size means that it can be given uses that are impossible for silicon panels," said Tiago Maranhao Alves, chairman of CSEM Brazil and physical engineer who directly participated in the research. This material is able to power electrical components of automobiles and in electronic devices such as mobile phones, wireless keyboards and mice. "A panel with a surface of two or three square feet meters can be sufficient to generate the energy needed in a house lived by a family of four," Alves also remarked.
       Transportation is also an advantage of the solar panels, compared to the common silicon-based panels. "Because they are easy to transport, logical costs are lower. In addition, people can take them with them when they move to a new home," Alves noted. The plastic solar panel is able to be used in covering buildings and venues like airports and sports stadiums, avoiding the need to set aside an area for installation of the silicon panels.