Imagine an RV painted with SolarPaint — for power at night.
As of 2025, the US solar industry is attracting tens of billions of dollars in private investment. That kind of capital signals more than just market growth—it signals disruption. And nothing screams disruption quite like solar paint: a substance that can generate electricity, just like a solar panel, but goes on like regular paint.
Imagine turning any building—home, school, warehouse, or factory—into a clean energy generator just by painting it. That’s the promise of solar paint. And companies like Israel’s Solarpaint are pushing this vision toward reality, with cutting-edge flexible photovoltaic (PV) solutions that challenge everything we know about how solar energy is captured and used.
What Is Solar Paint?
A solar powered floating home
Solar paint is not one singular product, but rather a set of emerging technologies that can convert sunlight into electricity when applied like regular paint or spray. Instead of needing heavy, rigid panels, solar paint could theoretically be rolled onto any surface—curved, uneven, vertical, or mobile—and generate power.
Three types of solar paint are currently being researched and prototyped:
Hydrogen-Extracting Solar Paint
Professors from the research team at RMIT University who have developed the hydrogen-extracting solar paint. Image source: RMIT
Developed by researchers at RMIT University in Australia, this paint absorbs moisture from the air and uses sunlight to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen can then be stored and used as a clean fuel source.
The key component is synthetic molybdenum-sulfide, which acts similarly to moisture-absorbing silica gel, and is combined with titanium dioxide (already found in conventional paints). The result is a paint that could work in humid regions to produce hydrogen fuel directly from the air.
“Any place that has water vapor in the air… can produce fuel,” says Dr. Torben Daeneke, lead researcher at RMIT.
Quantum Dot Solar Paint (Photovoltaic Paint)
At the University of Toronto, scientists have developed colloidal quantum dots—tiny semiconductors that convert sunlight into electricity. These can be applied like ink or paint to various surfaces.
What’s exciting here is both cost and customizability: quantum dots are inexpensive to produce, and their light-absorbing properties can be tuned simply by changing their size. Researchers believe they can ultimately surpass the efficiency of traditional panels by more than 10%.
Perovskite Spray-On Solar Cells
NREL scientist David Moore paints a perovskite solution onto glass. Image source: nrel.gov
Perovskites are a class of materials that have revolutionized solar science in the past decade. Researchers at the University of Sheffield were the first to develop spray-on perovskite solar cells, which can be applied to glass, plastic, or metal—ideal for windows, facades, or irregular surfaces.
This approach is still being refined for weather resistance and durability but shows huge promise for turning entire structures into solar harvesting systems.
Solarpaint (Israel): Leading the Civilian Leap Forward
SolarPaint and RV awnings
Israeli company Solarpaint is one of the most promising startups in the flexible solar space. Unlike conventional panels that require heavy support structures and extensive installation, Solarpaint offers thin, lightweight photovoltaic films and bendable coatings that can be applied to a wide variety of surfaces—including rooftops, awnings, and walls.
Its goal? To democratize solar power by making it easier, more aesthetic, and more affordable to generate electricity from the surfaces we already use.
SolarPaint has partnered with Lippert Components, an Indiana-based manufacturer of recreational vehicles (RVs) and related products. Together, they are developing a fully flexible and rollable solar awning suitable for RVs, residential balconies, and marine vehicles. This project is part of a broader initiative funded by BIRD Energy, a joint program between the US Department of Energy and Israel’s Ministry of Energy, which supports collaborative clean energy projects.
Applications Already in Sight:
Urban Rooftops: Even rooftops that can’t support traditional panels could be coated with solar-reactive material.
Smart Architecture: Facades and curved surfaces become energy-generating without disrupting the building’s design.
Off-Grid Homes and Cabins: Remote properties could gain reliable power without massive infrastructure.
Mobile Solar: Vehicles, tiny homes, or even boats could one day use solar coatings to charge onboard systems.
Greenhouses and Farms: Surfaces of farm structures could generate energy for irrigation, sensors, or refrigeration.
