This should once in for all prove to the skeptics that Solar Energy really does have long legs and it is going to go in to the next few decades as the single most important source of energy for mankind. Not that inflatable solar panels prove that, but the fact that people are constantly looking for ways to improve on solar energy. That holds a very bright future for the technology indeed. The inflatable solar panels may not be too much of an advantage, but if you happen to have winters or even summers like in London, they really could save you some space.
An English company, IDC, has announced plans to mass-produce an inflatable solar panel and make it commercially available for less than 100 pounds ($200). The SolarStore panels, which inflate from a backpack into a 2 meter square, are designed to replace hot water heaters, one of the primary consumers of power in most households. This means that you could just heat water anytime you want using these instantly inflatable solar panels.
Capable of heating up to 3 full tanks of water, IDC envisions the panels being used primarily in developing nations as a cheap alternative to the hot water heaters, but points out that their system pays back its cost in six months, while other domestic solar systems take 10-20 years to return the initial investment. Despite that amazing efficiency both in terms of ecology and economy, it might take a few years to catch on. Anything that is going to pay you back the invested amount in 6 months is worth its price. It will be really interesting to see where this goes from here on. Foe now, it really is an exciting option on hand.
