Solar cells made from polymer plastic offers the hope of more stable and efficient panels. The new material is a major advance in solar cell technology, which has been plagued by problems with cheap materials that can crack or break down over time. Developing polymer plastic solar cells is a priority for the renewables industry because they are lightweight and cost effective.
Solar cells made from polymer plastic offers the hope of more stable and efficient panels. Scientists from Stony Brook University and the US Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory found that adding inert polymer polystyrene to plastic solar cells led to higher device performance. Developing polymer plastic solar cells is a priority for the renewables industry because they are lightweight and cost effective.