A different type of power plant
As solar technology continues to make gains in efficiency and affordability, designers are starting to take on the next challenge in the evolution of solar technology: how to make it aesthetic, or at least inconspicuous. While many are solving that problem by integrating solar panels into poolside furniture and ladies undergarments, a consortium of designers in Japan are taking a more functional approach: solar leaves.While they don't seem to have the art of camouflage perfected quite yet (it looks like a bad silk ficus), these thin-film solar leaves are designed to blend into other foliage, grabbing maximum sunlight without spoiling your view. This prototype -- designed by Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Mitsubishi, and Tokki Corp -- gives us an idea of the wide variety of forms that thin-film technology is allowing solar systems to take. Each leaf on this solar power plant is coated with its own protective film that will allow it to stand up to the elements.
[via Engadget]
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