The CSIRO is developing solar cells that can be printed out by the metre, like banknotes.

Scientists say the cells would be printed onto large areas of flexible light plastic using technology already developed by CSIRO for the latest banknote production.

The cost of current solar cell technology remains an obstacle for domestic households.

The CSIRO's Gerry Wilson says once the printable cells reach the market in about five years, the cells will probably be much more efficient.

"The print trials that we were conducting today, those printers typically run at 200 metres a minute, which is 100 kilometres per day.

"If you were printing a solar cell that had only 10 per cent efficiency say, then we calculate that over five months, you'd be able to print enough plastic solar cells to generate a gigawatt of power."

The CSIRO says the technology could end up being used within the windows of houses.

Dr Wilson says printing solar cells heralds an electronic revolution.

"You could obviously put them on the roof or any other solid frontage like walls and things like that," he said.

"But because we can lay down these polymer films with different thicknesses you could make them transparent or semi-transparent so even windows or architectural features like that could all be used."

He also says the technology could even, in principle, be used on water.

"These plastic films that we're making now also float you don't necessarily have to be constrained on putting them on land," he said.

"When you consider the amount of water we lose through evaporation on dams, wouldn't it be smart to put a whole heap of films on top of your dam."