As solar panels become an ever more popular source of energy and heat, they aren’t just for rooftops anymore.

Particularly in urban areas where space is at a premium, placing solar panels on facades or other more visible parts of buildings is a necessity.

But their standard monochrome colour scheme leaves designers with fewer options to make buildings attractive. Some architects have even described solar panels as ugly or an eyesore, saying their appearance is an obstacle when integrating them into projects.

The problem often comes when trying to sell or rent a property where looks really matter.

Now researchers from the American Chemical Society have created solar panels that can take on a whole range of colours while producing energy just as efficiently as traditional ones.

Items appear a particular colour because they reflect that wavelength of light back instead of absorbing it. So if solar panels are to absorb as much light as possible, they need to be a deep black colour.

Other attempts to make the panels more vibrant have resulted in less power being produced, higher costs or even an undesirable iridescence.

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