If you find solar panels ugly and boring, Toyota may have a solution for you: the Japanese manufacturer has just introduced a new solar panel technologywhich can be decorated with many patterns and colors.

Indeed, solar cells have traditionally been huge black rectangular panels: the reason is that adding colors would block the passage of light and reduce the efficiency of the photovoltaic panel.

Fully customizable solar panel

However, according to Taizo Masuda, head of carbon neutrality at Toyota: “Design is critical to cars and Toyota has spent many years developing its paint technologies. Just like you choose a car based on its design, you should be able to choose from many options when choosing solar panels. Although Earth’s resources are limited, sunlight is an endless source of energy. So we wanted to find a way to combine power generation and aesthetics. »

The result of this research was the technology of solar panels covered with a special translucent automotive paint, which let the sun shine generate energy.

While paint always affects the overall efficiency of the panel, Toyota teamed up with solar panel specialists Nippon Paint Automotive Coatings and F-Wave to develop colorful and efficient solar panel.

Many possible applications

Toyota solar panels can be painted with many colors and patterns resembles wood, brick, concrete or stone. The aim is to make them almost “invisible” and to improve their integration into the environment, thus making them more aesthetic to facilitate their adoption.

There are many applications : we can imagine them on residential or professional buildings, electric vehicles and even on uneven surfaces such as everyday objects, bags or even clothes, which will allow the user, for example, to charge his smartphone when he moves outside. This solar panel really is willowyand it can be integrated into various objects and take any form.

However, this technology will need to be developed further to reduce its cost and make it easier for as many people as possible to adopt it, but Masuda and his teams are proud of their achievement, which perfectly embodies their vision of environmental innovation as a source of hope, not limitation.