Highly Efficient Solar Cells

[Trevors]

Hello everybody,
I was searching for solar panels available in South Africa and came across the following article. Thought it might be useful info:
**broken link removed**

I haven't heard anything in the media about these panels being availble here (SA) yet, But they might already be available in your neck of the woods.

 

[ericgibbs]

Hello everybody,
I was searching for solar panels available in South Africa and came across the following article. Thought it might be useful info:
**broken link removed**

I haven't heard anything in the media about these panels being availble here (SA) yet, But they might already be available in your neck of the woods.

hi,
I saw a recent TV documentary which mentioned these super panels, but it said they will still in the development stage... it could be some time before they are released.

Perhaps Eskom might have sorted out its problem by then.

 

[Trevors]

I hope so, but it would still be a good idea to use these and go 'green'

 

[ericgibbs]

I hope so, but it would still be a good idea to use these and go 'green'

hi Trevor,
I agree with the idea of solar panels, but in my limited experience in their use, I would consider the biggest drawback is the Invertor and the storage batteries required.

 

[Trevors]

Yup,
Maybe someone will develop better batteries and more efficient inverters to make it a more 'attractive' solution

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Yup,
Maybe someone will develop better batteries and more efficient inverters to make it a more 'attractive' solution

Modern inverters are already pretty efficient, low efficiency of the panels is the main problem.

 

[mneary]

I hope so, but it would still be a good idea to use these and go 'green'

But you can't get them yet.

 

[killivolt]

CES was desplaying the new (Silver/Zinc) battery's. Re-chargable and re-cyclable for laptops do you think they might have an impact in the effort to go green?

 

[mui4love]

please,i need a 1000watts inverter circuit diagram

 

[JIvemaster]

You will certainly buy a 1000w inverter more cheaply than making one

 

[mneary]

The "1000watts inverter" is discussed repeatedly here, learn and use the search tools.

It's apparently a popular homework assignment.

 

[bryan1]

Hi Trevor,
Those claims of super efficient PV panels at this moment are just snake oil salesmen trying to gleen $$$ out of unwise investors.

To give you an example of what it costs to a fully RE house going

1. Soler panels 14 kanela thin film @ 65watts $6500
2. one mppt the top of the range @ $2500
3. The batterybank 12 2 volt 600 amp/hr sonnenscheins @ $11,000
4. Selectronics SA32 inverter @ $4500


As you can see it aint cheap to get into RE but my system has been going now for close to 5 years. So For the blokes on the grid cost out your bills over the last 5 and next 5 years as my investment in RE will I reckon pay off cheap than living on a crappy over-charged prone to cutout grid anyday. Oh and by the way I'm in Oz.

Cheers Bryan

 

[rjvh]

hi bryan

is 10 years for the batterys not a bit to much wishfull thinking?

especialy with the climate you're in (high temparatures are not realy liked by batterys)
annyway i hope for you they last that long

Robert-Jan

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

is 10 years for the batterys not a bit to much wishfull thinking?

For that matter what about the panels?, they lose efficiency as they get older.

 

[Analog]

Your title of "highly efficient solar" is misleading. One of my consulting jobs is with a leader in thin film photovoltaics, and these devices are still not as efficient as a silicon solar cell (old variety). Their advantage is that they are thin and durable. The US government is funding an effort to even make roofing shingles out of them. BUT they are NOT as efficient as regular old solar cells, at least not yet. And the article makes absolutely no claims about the efficiency, as they cannot (at this point in time) - otherwise they would look bad.

 

[Oznog]

Man the article's reporting sucks:

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]generating power even under low-light conditions.
[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1]Due to the construction of the cells, comparatively high yields can be obtained even under partially shaded or overcast conditions.[/SIZE][/FONT]

Duh. ANY solar cell still produces power as long as there's light. Just less.
This article is woefully lacking in any usable objective information of any sort.
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT]

 

[Thunderchild]

Hi Trevor,
Those claims of super efficient PV panels at this moment are just snake oil salesmen trying to gleen $$$ out of unwise investors.

To give you an example of what it costs to a fully RE house going

1. Soler panels 14 kanela thin film @ 65watts $6500
2. one mppt the top of the range @ $2500
3. The batterybank 12 2 volt 600 amp/hr sonnenscheins @ $11,000
4. Selectronics SA32 inverter @ $4500


As you can see it aint cheap to get into RE but my system has been going now for close to 5 years. So For the blokes on the grid cost out your bills over the last 5 and next 5 years as my investment in RE will I reckon pay off cheap than living on a crappy over-charged prone to cutout grid anyday. Oh and by the way I'm in Oz.

Cheers Bryan

I beleive you can get the stuff a bit cheaper now but I don't think it s a case of saying its exspensive NOW its a case of saying what will electricity cost in a few years and won't solar equipment sky rocket in price too as more and more people get it ?

 

[rjvh]

I beleive you can get the stuff a bit cheaper now but I don't think it s a case of saying its exspensive NOW its a case of saying what will electricity cost in a few years and won't solar equipment sky rocket in price too as more and more people get it ?

I don't think so

as more people will get it the price will come down as production costs (big part of it development cost) will be going down

we have examples enough with other products

i am not saying that it goes as quick as for example a television set but eventionaly the price will go down

it's more intresting what goverments do in giving tax cuts on the equipment

because to be onest the whole alternative energy equipment buisness is not competative with the fosil feul buisness without the help of tax cuts

Robert-Jan

 

[Thunderchild]

I don't think so

as more people will get it the price will come down as production costs (big part of it development cost) will be going down

we have examples enough with other products

i am not saying that it goes as quick as for example a television set but eventionaly the price will go down

it's more intresting what goverments do in giving tax cuts on the equipment

because to be onest the whole alternative energy equipment buisness is not competative with the fosil feul buisness without the help of tax cuts

Robert-Jan

alternative energy is competitive with fossil fuels over time the fact that we have running wind farms proves it they are run by private company's in the business of making money so its quite competitive. I think there will be a hype on solar panels in the future and prices will nt be as low as they coould but may well be lower than today. it depends on where you buy I know of 2 retailers selling panels that differ in price by 3 times.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

alternative energy is competitive with fossil fuels over time the fact that we have running wind farms proves it they are run by private company's in the business of making money so its quite competitive. I think there will be a hype on solar panels in the future and prices will nt be as low as they coould but may well be lower than today. it depends on where you buy I know of 2 retailers selling panels that differ in price by 3 times.

I think it's mainly viable because of government subsidies, and artifically high prices paid for 'green' electricity. Cost and maintenance of wind farms is very high, and generation is only patchy, obviously depending on the wind.

I do think it's a good resource though, and a step in the right direction.