Japan is heavily investing in a new kind of ultra-thin, flexible solar panel that it hopes will help it meet renewable energy goals while challenging China's dominance of the sector. Pliable perovskite panels are perfect for mountainous Japan, with its shortage of flat plots for solar. And a key component of the panels is iodine, something Japan produces more of than any country but Chile. "Perovskite solar panels can be built domestically, from the raw materials to production to installation. In that sense, they could significantly contribute to things like energy security and economic security," said Hiroshi Segawa, a specialist in next-generation solar technology at the University of Tokyo. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES ARRANGED IN SEQUENCES