| Flexible solar panels are a new and welcome addition | | | | connected to, or may even charge an internal set of |
| the growing application of solar power technology. | | | | batteries for later use. |
| These panels are lightweight, inexpensive and will | | | | There are even several styles of clothing that use |
| supply a good deal of energy that can be used to | | | | these flexible panels as part of their design. By building |
| power a number of portable devices. They are also | | | | these panels into a hat or back pack you can take |
| durable enough to be incorporated into the design of | | | | advantage of the power the sun provides when you |
| these portable products and can provide hours of use | | | | wear these items. You can use the power they |
| from simple sunlight. | | | | provide to charge a cell phone or other portable |
| Unlike conventional solar cells, these flexible solar cells | | | | device in your pocket while you spend time outdoors. |
| are made by spraying a silicon solution onto a flexible | | | | There are several backpack designs that actually |
| substrate. The process actually "prints" the material | | | | include flexible panels on their top flap and a pocket to |
| with a pattern of this liquid that develops into a small | | | | hold the device that the panel is charging. This type of |
| solar array. Depending on the pattern used and the | | | | product allows you to take advantage of the free |
| size of the substrate, a variety of output current and | | | | energy the sun provides, which can power most |
| voltages can be attained. Because this type of solar | | | | portable devices for hours. |
| panel can be made in any imaginable shape, they are | | | | These flexible panels are also being used in many |
| easy to incorporate into the design of almost any | | | | different outdoor lighting products. The panels are |
| product. | | | | placed in a sunny area and used to charge a battery. |
| A very common use of these flexible panels is in | | | | This battery can then power a set of garden or |
| portable battery chargers that can be used to provide | | | | pathway lights at night with the free power collected |
| power for cell phones and laptops. These products | | | | during the day. |
| usually consist of a large flexible solar panel that is | | | | While flexible solar panels hold great promise there use |
| unrolled or unfolded to capture a good amount of | | | | is mainly limited to powering small devices directly. If |
| sunlight. When not in use, the panel can be folded back | | | | you are looking for ways to harness solar energy to |
| into a much smaller package, which makes it a very | | | | power your home you may want to make your own |
| portable solution. This solar battery charger can be | | | | solar panel from conventional silicon photovoltaic cells. |
| used to charge the batteries of the device it's | | | | |