BioSolar, based in Santa Clarita, Calif., is developing new ways to create the components of solar power which currently require plastics and fossil fuels, science magazine Scientific American reported.

Conventional photovoltaic cells have plastic polymer backings that are made from petroleum, so even though solar power is clean, it still leaves a carbon footprint.

One of the reasons solar power has remained expensive is because of the cost of producing that backing.

BioSolar makes its flexible, affordable backings from used cotton rags that are turned into cellulose films and blended with castor beans.