TIME Best Inventions 2006

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BRIGHT IDEAS

E-MAIL

Solar Skin
Imagine a solar panel so thin it can't exist apart from the building material it's printed on. HelioVolt didn't invent copper indium gallium selenide, a thin film used to generate electricity from sunlight, but it did develop a faster, more cost-effective way to manufacture it for use in large commercial spaces. The new process involves printing a fine layer of semiconductor directly onto glass, metal and other building materials so that new skyscrapers can go up solar power-ready from day one.

Inventor: HelioVolt
Availability: 2008
To learn more, see www.heliovolt.com.

Flexible Lightbulbs