Installing solar panels on the roof of buildings has become very en vogue recently.  But in a few years charging up your home might be cheaper and easier than ever.

The Norwegian company EnSol AS has developed a thin, transparent solar film that can be sprayed onto windows and other surfaces, rendering them able to absorb the sun’s energy just as efficiently as solar panels.

The special coating consists of metal nanoparticles suspended in a clear chemical compound, and could potentially be added to new building materials during their manufacturing process, or even to the roofs of electric cars. The company hopes to have this miraculous spray commercially available by 2016.

For more information about how spray-on solar cell technology was developed and how it works, see these articles.

Image: Joyseph/Flickr

Filed under: Chemical, e-News, Environmental

Tags: Chemical, Energy, Environmental, Nanotechnology, Solar