It is no secret how the earth's reserves of fossil fuels are on the brink of being tapped out. According to studies, the trove of fossil fuels would run out sooner than what was expected. For instance, crude oil is expected to vanish by 2052. consequently, gas deposits would run out by 2060 and coal reserves by 2088.
Despite the alarming data on fossil fuels, researchers reveal that global consumption of these valuable resources continue to increase. In a study released last year, it was confirmed that global oil use grew .8% from the previous year while energy consumption .9% from 2014.
Scientists have been knee deep in trying to find an alternative to fossil fuels. Despite their efforts, production of alternative energy source technologies remain far from cost-effective. However, experts from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently unveiled what could be a step in making solar energy the viable replacement for fossil fuels.
in a recent report by MIT news, scientists from MIT revealed their development of what could be the thinnest and most lightweight solar cells to date. According to the news, these cells are so light that placing them on bubbles would not cause the bubble to pop.
The scientists reveal that unlike the previous manufacturing of solar cells, their version does not require high temperatures and strong chemicals. They have since gushed about the implications of their creation explaining how they are hopeful their solar cells would be cost-effective enough for commercial use.
The work "has tremendous implications for maximizing power-to-weight (important for aerospace applications, for example), and for the ability to simply laminate photovoltaic cells onto existing structures," explained Max Shtein, a professor from the university of Michigan.
However, the scientists were quick to reveal that much research is needed to make their solar cells available to the public.
