
First came printable solar cells, then printable OLED lights and now ladies and gentlemen, we have printable lithium batteries. Japanese researchers have announced they've developed a way to manufacture the batteries with mass-output, roll-to-roll printing technology.
The printed battery sheet is very thin (500 μm), flexible (allowing it to be attached to curved surfaces) and designed for use with a flexible solar battery, a combination that could be both a power generator and power storage unit. The battery prototypes have an output voltage of 2V - 4V, but the battery capacity hasn't been revealed. The benefit of the roll-to-roll printing is that it's highly efficient, meaning cheaper production.
Unlike other prototype technology, this cool breakthrough isn't one that we'll have to wait 10 years to see in production. The research team, who work with the Advanced Materials Innovation Center of Mie Industry and Enterprise Support Center in Japan, plans to finish studying the technology and start shopping around for commercial opportunities sometime next year.
via TechOn

written by Elemental LED staff, February 11, 2010
written by PrintedE, May 04, 2010
written by yanilsama, September 11, 2012
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On a darker note --
Recall the praise for going to more efficient LEDs for so many applications -- including traffic lights. And, this hard winter... how the lights became un-seeable since LEDs did not get 'hot enough' as the old incandescent did to melt the snow from the lens. So, now they have to come up with heaters to help... killing what energy efficiency there might have been.
Hoepfully, this 'downside' does not crop up with using printables. (( like only having half a 'useable life' as compared to typical systems or similar shortfalls ))