According to NewScientist, we could soon be generating energy on the move with energy producing clothing, thanks to a recent discovery of cheap, flexible solar cell microfibers.

The team, led by Harry Atwater, says the new solar cells use just 1% of the silicon needed by a conventional solar cell but with only 5% of the size.

The Caltech cells are also efficient, reflecting back only about half as much energy as a similar sized “traditional” cell.

The base that “grows” the micrometer-wide silicon wires is also reusable, further lessening the future costs of a pair of theoretical Gap Gadget khakis.

I am not sure if they really work in the real world. Many promising ideas came to nought when they are tested on practicality.

[New Scientist]