Solar innovators are always looking for ways to make the technology more efficient, flexible and affordable. Some advances are already on the market now, while others are still in development. The most promising technologies still face challenges, but if innovations continue at their current speed, it may not be a matter of if, but when these five new solar trends change the world.

1. Solar Shingles

Designed to look and perform like regular roofing shingles, solar shingles incorporate a flexible, thin film of solar cells. Two types of solar shingles are available now. The first is rigid slates of shingles, which produce 920 watts of solar power per 100 square feet, or enough to meet all the electrical needs of the average home.

The second is flexible shingles, which produce about 600 watts per 100 square feet. Not only do solar shingles provide electricity for the home, they add an exceptional layer of insulation to the roof, keeping ultraviolet rays and water from degrading the roofing membrane. The shingles aren’t cheap, but their three-in-one capabilities—roofing, solar power, and insulation—make them a great option for full-scale roofing renovations.

2. Solar Windows

Researchers at the M.I.T. Research Laboratory of Electronics developed transparent solar cells that can be applied to windows without impeding the passage of light, a breakthrough in this type of technology. Previous attempts either blocked too much light or were too inefficient to be practical.

The new cells are based on organic molecules that are designed to only absorb light on the near-infrared spectrum, allowing visible light to pass through the glass. Their challenge now is to make the cells last as long as the windows. Stay tuned for more on solar-powered windows, as this is sure to be a game-changer for residential application worldwide.

3. Sprayed-on Solar

M.I.T. researchers also created a way to print solar cells onto paper. Using a process similar to that of an inkjet printer, sheets of paper are coated with organic semiconductor material. The paper remains foldable, and becomes nearly indestructible. The researchers used carbon-based dyes for the paper, but believe that any material that can be deposited at room temperature may be used. They are working towards developing a technique that would allow the material to be sprayed onto a variety of surfaces.

4. Full-Spectrum Solar

The National Renewable Energy Lab developed solar technology that absorbs more wavelengths of light that do traditional solar cells, which absorb only the red spectrum of sunlight. Known as multi-junction solar cells, they have already been used to power robotic rovers on Mars.

 The Lab has partnered with solar companies to further the technology. San Jose’s Solar Junction used inexpensive lenses to magnify the multi-junction cell capacity, resulting in solar cells with 43% efficiency, a new world record. Cells with this efficiency would shatter all preconceived notions of the limitations of solar, catapulting the renewable energy right where it should be: at the forefront of our global energy stage.

5. Solar-Charged LCD

LCD screens used in televisions, computer monitors and cell phones operate by filtering light, which means about 50% of the light is wasted and filtered away. UCLA researchers have invented a method to recapture that light, and in the process, discovered that they could capture energy from both sunlight and ambient light as well, effectively turning the LCD itself into a kind of solar cell. Their challenge now is to refine the technique to guarantee the quality of the display is not impaired in the procedure.

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Hailing from Oakland, CA, Brittany Mauriss is editor for CalFinder, a free service that connects you with residential solar installers and remodeling contractors. Her passions are music, sustainable building, and helping people make beautiful homes.