Solar panels（太阳能电池板）are a kind of environmentally-friendly product. They take energy from the sun and turn it into electricity. In many parts of the world, solar panels are used to produce electricity. More and more people have started using solar panels to provide power for their homes.
However, solar panels also have their disadvantages. They can't produce energy all the time and they stop working at night and on rainy days. Then a question comes: Is it possible to make them produce electricity all the time?
Scientists at Suzhou University, China, have invented a new solar panel. It can produce electricity not only from solar energy but also from the falling rain. When a raindrop falls on the solar panel and then rolls（滚动）down, it creates friction（摩擦力）on the surface of the panel, which can then be turned into electricity.
Sun Baoquan is one of the inventors. "Our new invention can produce electricity almost in any weather during the day," he says. "It can even provide electricity at night if there is rain. "
The solar panel, however, does not make a lot of electricity from falling rain. So Sun Baoquan is still working hard to improve it. The scientist also wants to make solar panels more flexible, which can be as soft as clothing. Solar energy is a kind of clean, safe and cheap energy. The field of solar energy is developing fast. Scientists around the world have been improving solar panels. Some have been working on ways to join solar panels and wind power together. Some have been trying to use sunlight to produce liquid（液体的）and gas fuels. They hope they can serve people better with more green energy.
