Pure white and coloured edgeless solar panels that can be connected with no visible join have been developed for the first time, meaning solar panels can now be added to everything from buildings to phones without being visible.

The new development, created by Swiss research firm CSEM, will mean solar panels can be disguised as a normal part of a wall or piece of tech’s finish, a move that is likely to increase their use considerably.

The solar industry has been seeing a significant surge in growth, with rooftop solar projected to become the norm within a few decades, but the design of solar panels has resulting in some reluctance about adopting the technology.

It was long thought that a pure white solar panel was an impossibility, due to the way that white reflects the sun’s rays.

However this system has overcome that challenge, and will likely prove popular as a power-producing facade for buildings and as cases for electronics.

Although available in a host of colours, the white version provides a key advantage, by enabling solar power to work at temperatures 20-30°C (68-86°F) lower than normal.

This could open up whole areas of the world to photovoltaic-based power, letting entire countries access the technology that would not have been able to previously.

The white finish could also have other key environmental benefits, by keeping interiors cooler and reducing the need for air conditioning.

Many US cities, such as Los Angeles, have begun painting their roofs white for this very reason, a move that could be replaced by the installation of white solar panels.

The innovation could even result in whole cities being coated in the panels, realising a long-held dream of a city with a built-in power station. Combine these with the recently-developed transparent solar panels on windows, and every surface of a building could be covered.

These new solar panels combine an infrared-based solar cell with a filter that allows infrared light to pass through while scattering the visible spectrum of light.

The technology will work with any crystalline silicon-based solar panels, meaning it can also be added to existing solar panels – something that may well prove popular as the blue-black rooftop solar panels we have come to recognise begin to look increasingly dated.

It’s not only flat surfaces that can benefit, either; the technology is designed to work curved surfaces too, leading CSEM to anticipate demand from the automotive industry.

Perhaps solar panels could become a standard feature on cars to power auxiliary features such as audio and air conditioning.

Featured image courtesy of TonyV3112 / Shutterstock.com. Inline image courtesy of CSEM.