Researchers at McMaster University have grown light-absorbing nanowires made of high-performance photovoltaic materials on thin but highly durable carbon-nanotube fabric.

They’ve also harvested similar nanowires from reusable substrates and embedded the tiny particles in flexible polyester film. Both approaches, they argue, could lead to solar cells that are both flexible and cheaper than today’s photovoltaics.

The aim: conversion efficiency of 20 percent within five years (current thin-film technologies offer efficiencies of between 6 and 9 percent).