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#Post#: 1712--------------------------------------------------
Micro inverters improving ang getting easier to install
By: AGelbert Date: August 19, 2014, 7:35 pm
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HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_0wJMxU-dk&feature=player_embedded
[font=arial black]TRC Solar Power International[/font]
#Post#: 1799--------------------------------------------------
Re: Photvoltaics (PV)
By: AGelbert Date: September 2, 2014, 7:59 pm
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Nepalese Teen Invents Cheap Solar Panel Using Human Hair
HTML http://inhabitat.feedsportal.com/c/34923/f/648037/s/3dff79a9/sc/4/l/0Linhabitat0N0Cnepalese0Eteen0Einvents0Echeap0Esolar0Epanel0Eusing0Ehuman0Ehair0C/story01.htm
[img width=640
height=380]
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/>
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/> [img width=8
0
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#Post#: 1841--------------------------------------------------
Re: Photvoltaics (PV)
By: AGelbert Date: September 8, 2014, 12:07 am
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[quote]
John Birk
September 7, 2014
Regarding the energy of sunshine there are some irrefutable
facts.
Namely that all of the coal, oil and gas known to humans, has
the same energy that the sun shines on us in 20 days!
Furthermore scientist at RMI calculated that if all the roof of
building in cities worldwide were covered with solar cell, it
would meet our energy ten times over!
Remember the above are facts ........ unlike what the energy
business spreads;-)
Soon low cost energy storage will come to market and if you are
still in the fossil fuel business be afraid ......... be very
afraid! ;D
Scientia Non Domus,
(Knowledge has No Home)
antiguajohn[/quote]
The Inevitability of Solar ;D
Paula Mints, SPV Market Research
HTML http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2014/09/the-inevitability-of-solar
HTML http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2014/09/the-inevitability-of-solar
#Post#: 1848--------------------------------------------------
Re: Photvoltaics (PV)
By: AGelbert Date: September 8, 2014, 10:55 pm
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Solar for All: Making Solar PV Accessible to Low-Income Families
in the U.S. [img width=70
height=60]
HTML http://elqahera-trading.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/dollar-sign-thumbnail1.jpg[/img]<br
/>
Aug 27, 2014
Authors
Laurie Guevara-Stone
Writer / Editor
Here at RMI we love seeing electricity generated by the sun. And
while it’s great to see large homes owned by the likes of Woody
Harrelson and Will Ferrell being solar-powered, rooftop solar
should be accessible to people across the socio-economic
spectrum of the U.S., not just the one percent. But putting
solar on all of these different roofs is currently a serious
challenge.
Even with lowered PV costs and the prevalence of third-party
financing programs, solar is largely out of reach for many
low-income families. Many are renters who do not own their
homes, putting them at the mercy of their landlord. For those
that do own their homes, few have enough tax liability to take
full advantage of federal and state tax incentives for rooftop
solar. That’s largely a moot point anyway, since even with
incentives the steep upfront cost of rooftop solar in the U.S.
still puts a PV system financially out of reach for low-income
families. That’s where third-party leasing can come in, but many
low-income families have low credit scores and most solar
leasing companies require a credit score of at least 700. It’s
one potential financial barrier after another.
Fortunately, there are groups around the country working to
overcome these barriers to market participation and ultimately
bring solar to low-income households. Giving low-income families
access to solar PV systems can help lower their utility bills,
provide employment opportunities, and bring about an element of
environmental justice.
Saving Money
Low-income families spend over twice the proportion of their
total income on energy bills than the average person in the
United States. When low-income families have high energy bills
one of the first thing they often skimp on is food. Researchers
from the Boston Medical Center have found that children in
energy-insecure households don’t get enough food, have poorer
health, and are more prone to developmental problems. One way to
lower energy bills and keep food on the table is to power homes
with solar photovoltaics.
“Low-income families pay into the rebate pool like everyone
else. Yet often, even with rebates, they can’t afford a solar
home system,” Shirley Moore, program manager at Grid
Alternatives, told RMI. Grid Alternatives, or simply Grid, as it
is fondly called, is a nonprofit organization providing low- to
no-cost PV systems to low-income families throughout California,
Colorado, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Homeowners who
earn 80 percent or less of the median income and have a
solar-appropriate roof qualify for a Grid Alternatives PV
system. “We see people save an average of 50 to 75 percent off
their electric bill. Money that can go towards paying their
mortgage, putting food on the table, or saving for college,”
said Moore.
Grid works with local partners to find qualifying families. The
families do not have to put any money down, but do have to
contribute 16 hours of sweat equity. They can work in the Grid
office, help on the installation, or even cook lunch for the
installation volunteers. They then pay $0.02 per kilowatt-hour
for what their system produces. It’s a small price to pay for
leasing the system, often adding up to only about $100 per year,
but according to Chuck Watkins, executive director of Grid
Alternatives–Colorado, “we want the homeowners highly engaged
with their system and aware of their energy usage.”
A similar organization, Citizens Energy, provides free solar PV
systems that reduce homeowners’ electricity costs by 40 to 50
percent in the Imperial Valley of California, an area with the
highest unemployment rate in the country. With temperatures in
the area climbing to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, homeowners can have
a difficult time paying for the electricity to run their air
conditioners. Citizens Energy uses 50 percent of its profits
from its share of the Sunrise Powerlink high-voltage
transmission line that brings renewable energy to the San Diego
region to purchase, install, and maintain the systems. The
homeowner signs a 20-year lease only after they receive a free
energy audit and weatherization services. One of the 200
homeowners to receive the free PV system saw her monthly summer
electricity bill go from $350 to $85.
A statewide program in California is also helping low-income
families. SASH (Single-family Affordable Solar Homes) provides
fully subsidized 1 kW systems to very-low-income households (50
percent or below the area median income), and highly subsidized
systems to other low-income households. The incentives for the
subsidized systems range from $4.75 to $7.00 per watt, depending
on the customer’s utility rate schedule and tax liability.
Incentives are higher for customers who cannot take advantage of
the ITC. Over 3,600 systems have been installed, and
participating families’ electricity bills have been reduced by
approximately 80 percent.
Green Jobs
Another benefit to bringing solar access to low-income families
is increasing employment opportunities. Low-income communities
often have high rates of unemployment. Yet more than 140,000
people are employed in the solar industry, more than half of
them in installation jobs that can’t ever be outsourced. That’s
a drop in the bucket of the 46.5 million Americans currently
living in poverty, but with solar installations growing at a
rate of 40 percent, those jobs are going to keep growing as
well. Grid Alternatives, for its part, installs its systems with
local volunteers and partners with job training organizations to
provide hands-on field experience students need to get certified
as solar installers and to get jobs. Partners include community
colleges and vocational schools, the Center for Employment
Training, YouthBuild, Veterans Green Jobs, and Green City Force.
At a recent installation in Carbondale, Colorado, twelve local
volunteers along with the homeowner helped install a 3.6 kW
system for Dan and Pam Rosenthal. “Once a volunteer comes out to
at least four to six of our installs, they can become a team
leader,” Moore told RMI. “They then get valuable hands-on
experience as well as experience in leading crews, and a lot of
our team leaders end up getting employed in the industry.”
Environmental Justice
“Clean energy access for low-income Americans,” writes clean
energy development and policy professional Bryan Lewis for
ThinkProgress, “is not just an issue of economics, but an issue
of justice, as well.” Lower-income people in the United States
are more susceptible to the negative impacts of climate change,
may be more affected by urban pollution, and face health issues
from living closer to coal plants. “Often times low-income
families are the ones most affected by pollution,” Chuck Watkins
told RMI. “So it’s nice for them to be able to be part of the
climate change solution.”
The Rosenthals had been trying to figure out a way to get a
solar PV system for years. Even with the rebates it was still
out of reach. So they were ecstatic when they learned about Grid
Alternatives. “It’s great that we will be saving money,” said
Pam Rosenthal, “but even more important to us than that is we
want to reduce our ecological footprint and do our part for the
environment.” The Rosenthal’s system is estimated to save them
75 percent off their $90 electric bill each month. But more
exciting for Pam is the amount of CO2 that they will be
offsetting in the lifetime of their system, helping Carbondale
reach its carbon goals.
The town of Carbondale has a goal of generating 35 percent of
its electricity by renewable energy by 2020. “It’s a big goal,”
said Carbondale Town Trustee Pam Zentmeyer, “and we need
participation from everyone if we’re going to do it. It’s great
these organizations have erased the financial barriers.” [img
width=60
height=60]
HTML http://www.smile-day.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Smiley-Thumbs-Up2.jpg[/img]<br
/>
HTML http://blog.rmi.org/blog_2014_08_27_solar_for_all_solar_pv_for_low_income_families
#Post#: 2090--------------------------------------------------
Re: Photvoltaics (PV)
By: AGelbert Date: October 25, 2014, 2:50 pm
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Energy Department Announces $53 Million to Drive Innovation, Cut
Cost of Solar Power ;D
October 22, 2014
WASHINGTON – Building on President Obama’s Climate Action Plan
to cut carbon pollution and continue U.S. leadership in clean
energy innovation, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz today announced
more than $53 million for 40 innovative research and development
(R&D) projects that aim to drive down the cost of solar energy,
tackling key aspects of technology development in order to bring
innovative ideas to the market more quickly. Supporting the
development of next generation photovoltaic (PV) solar
technologies and advanced manufacturing processes, and
addressing both hardware and non-hardware “soft” costs of solar
installation, these awards support advancements that will help
reduce the cost of solar energy and make solar electricity more
affordable and accessible for all Americans.
“As U.S. solar installation increases and the cost of solar
electricity continues to decline, solar energy is becoming an
increasingly affordable clean energy option for more American
families and businesses,” said Secretary Moniz. “Today, the U.S.
has 15.9 gigawatts of installed solar power – enough to power
more than 3.2 million average American homes. The projects
announced today will help the U.S. solar energy industry
continue to grow, ensuring America can capitalize on its vast
renewable energy sources, cut carbon pollution, and continue to
lead in the world in clean energy innovation.”
Driving the Next Generation of Solar Energy Technology
Due in part to the Energy Department’s long-term investments and
partnerships with private industry, academia, and DOE National
Laboratories, solar PV panels now cost 50 percent of what they
did three years ago. To accelerate the development of next
generation PV technologies that will further drive down costs,
the Energy Department is awarding more than $14 million to 10
research institutions to improve the performance, efficiency,
and durability of solar PV devices. The R&D projects will
explore a variety of leading-edge solutions, from new
high-performance materials to novel techniques for creating more
efficient solar cells that cost less to manufacture.
Cutting Solar Power Costs with Breakthrough Innovation
By nearly all measures, the solar energy industry has been one
of the fastest growing sectors in the United States over the
last five years, with cumulative installed solar power
increasing more than tenfold since 2008. :o ;D Significant
decreases in both the hardware costs and non-hardware “soft”
costs of a solar energy system, such as permitting,
interconnection, and financing, supported this increase in
deployment, and further cost reductions will create an
environment for even more solar deployment.
Through its SunShot Incubator program, the Energy Department is
investing more than $14 million in 20 small businesses that will
develop innovative technologies and services to further drive
down hardware and non-hardware costs for solar electric systems.
The projects take a number of approaches to decreasing costs,
creating a software-based solution to quantify risk for solar
investors, developing advanced materials and components that
maximize efficiency for concentrating solar power (CSP) and
identifying ways to eliminate the need for expensive silver in
solar cell manufacturing.
Supporting American Solar Manufacturing
As a part of the Administration’s effort to support advanced
manufacturing in the U.S., the Energy Department is committed to
fostering innovation in solar energy manufacturing in order to
further drive down the cost of solar technology and increase
domestic manufacturing. In support of the Clean Energy
Manufacturing Initiative, the Energy Department is awarding more
than $24 million to 10 U.S.-based solar manufacturers working to
develop and implement innovative technologies that will reduce
costs and increase efficiency in manufacturing processes used to
make PV and CSP technologies. These investments focus on
tackling key cost-contributors such as raw materials,
labor-intensive processes, and capital expenses.
Broadly, these Energy Department investments support
state-of-the-art products, solutions, and technology
advancements that will increase solar energy system performance
and efficiency and drive down costs. The Energy Department’s
SunShot Initiative is a collaborative national effort that
aggressively drives innovation to make solar energy fully
cost-competitive with traditional energy sources by the end of
the decade.
HTML http://energy.gov/articles/energy-department-announces-53-million-drive-innovation-cut-cost-solar-power
#Post#: 2169--------------------------------------------------
Re: Photvoltaics (PV)
By: AGelbert Date: November 5, 2014, 7:37 pm
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Solar latecomer France builds Europe's largest plant [img
width=100
height=100]
HTML http://www.nexbay.com/sun_shining_solar_panel_hg_clr.gif[/img]
Wednesday, November 5, 2014 Michel Rose for Reuters
PARIS (Reuters) – France has made up some lost ground against
its neighbors with the start to construction of what will be
Europe’s biggest photovoltaic solar power plant.
Solar power capacity has grown slowly in France compared to
Germany, Spain or Italy. It had 5,095 MW of photovoltaic
capacity in June, which accounted for only 1 percent of its
energy consumption in the first half of the year, and compares
with nearly 37,000 MW in Germany.
The new plant at Cestas is a 360 million euro ($450 million)
project capable of supplying electricity to a city the size of
nearby Bordeaux for a year.
HTML http://www.freesmileys.org/emoticons/emoticon-object-102.gif
;D
The project is managed by Neoen, a Paris-based company created
by Jacques Veyrat, the former head of commodities trading giant
Louis Dreyfus.
The 300-megawatt, ground-mounted installation will be connected
to the grid in October 2015 and provide electricity for 105
euros per megawatt-hour over 20 years, a price showing solar is
becoming increasingly competitive, its developers say.
Xavier Barbaro, Neoen’s chief executive, compared it to
state-owned utility EDF’s Hinkley Point C project in Britain,
which will receive a guaranteed power price of 92.5 pounds, or
117 euros per MWh for 35 years.
“We’re below the price of new nuclear electricity in Britain. So
the parity between nuclear energy which is costing more and
solar which continues to drop is happening now, in 2014
HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/19.gif,”
Barbaro told Reuters.
“Four or five years ago, nobody thought that would be possible
before 2020,” he said.
CHINESE PANELS
France’s slower start has allowed it to avoid the bursting of
the solar bubble in Spain, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria,
which have all implemented retroactive taxes on existing
operators of renewable energy installations, provoking a
backlash with investors.
This helped convince banks such as Societe Generale to fund
Neoen’s project and attract investment funds such as KKB, Acofi,
and Omnes Capital.
“We had to do a lot of explaining, to investors and the banks to
show that these projects were secured,” Barbaro said. “But
what’s appreciable in France is that projects already on track
are not called into question.”
The solar panels, made by China’s Yingli and Trina Solar and
Canadian Solar, will be built and operated by a consortium
including French groups Eiffage and Schneider Electric.
“Out of a 360 million euro investment, the share going to French
companies will be at least 50 percent,” Barbaro said.
Over the long term, Neoen aims to install 1,000 MW of capacity
by 2017, about half in France and the rest in areas where solar
is reaching “grid parity”, the price when an energy source does
not require subsidies anymore, such as Latin America, Africa and
Australia.
Barbaro said an initial public offering (IPO) could be possible
around 2018.
“It’s something we can envisage, yes. It’s not an obligation, we
already have solid shareholders capable of supporting us over
the long term. But we organize ourselves internally as if we
were going for an IPO,” he said.
Impala SAS, the holding of former Louis Dreyfus chairman Jacques
Veyrat, owns almost 60 percent of Neoen, while French public
investment bank Bpifrance owns 15.4 percent and French
investment fund Omnes Capital the remaining 25 percent.
(Editing by William Hardy)
HTML http://newsdaily.com/2014/11/solar-latecomer-france-builds-europes-largest-plant/#81FWL2rmBHh2QuKk.99
#Post#: 2170--------------------------------------------------
Re: Photvoltaics (PV)
By: AGelbert Date: November 5, 2014, 8:18 pm
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The Netherlands becomes first country to install
solar-collecting pathway
HTML http://www.smileysnetwork.com/sport/velo32.gif
By Shawn Knight on November 5, 2014, 7:30 PM
The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research is
putting the finishing touches on a section of bike path
connecting two Amsterdam suburbs. Once complete, the 230-foot
stretch of path will be the first in the world to double as a
solar panel collection grid.
The path, utilized by an average of 2,000 cyclists each day, was
built using square concrete blocks with solar cells laid across
the top. A 1cm thick piece of tempered glass covers the cells to
protect them from pedestrians and the elements. While not very
thick, the glass can reportedly withstand the weight of a truck
without breaking. [img width=060
height=055]
HTML http://www.emofaces.com/png/200/emoticons/fingerscrossed.png[/img]
It’s the first phase in a project that’ll eventually span 328
feet when complete in 2016. All said and done, the project –
dubbed SolaRoad – will cost a whopping $3.74 million and produce
enough electricity to light three homes. That’s not exactly the
best use of funds, but I digress.
The panels aren’t optimized for maximum energy collection due to
the fact that they are installed in a fixed position. They are,
however, installed at a slight angle in hopes that rain water
will help wash away dirt.
Scientists plan to monitor the path over the next three years to
see exactly how much energy it can create and observe how it
stands up over time. If successful, the potential exists to
solarize up to 20 percent of the country’s roadways.
Pictures at link:
HTML http://www.techspot.com/news/58716-netherlands-becomes-first-country-install-solar-collecting-pathway.html
#Post#: 2218--------------------------------------------------
Re: Photvoltaics (PV)
By: AGelbert Date: November 17, 2014, 1:58 pm
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SunPower Adds AC Inverters To Lineup To Save One-Third Labor
Cost
HTML http://www.pic4ever.com/images/19.gif[img
width=70
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The company found significant BOS labor cost savings with the AC
inverters compared to microinverters and power optimizers.
Charles W. Thurston, Contributing Editor
November 17, 2014 | 1 Comments
San Francisco -- The vertical extension of SunPower’s towering
corporate structure with the November 10 addition of
SolarBridge’s AC inverters signifies one defining feature for
the half dozen solar companies that will survive in the future.
HTML http://solarprofessional.com/sites/default/files/articles/images/4_SolarBridge.jpg
SolarBrige AC Inverters fitted on Solar Panels
“For an average 5 kW residential system, TRUEAC module use
reduced total labor costs by 33 percent compared to a string
inverter, as well as by 35 percent compared to an Enphase
detached microinverter, and by 48 percent compared to a
SolarEdge power optimizers.” -- Bryan Thomas, SolarBridge
The move has been acclaimed for its expected help in building
SunPower’s residential business, since statistics for first
quarter 2014 indicate more MWs of PV were installed in
residential systems than in commercial systems since 2010. The
acquisition was also praised for being an investment aimed at
bringing more downstream electronics into the panel, and for
being a panel development improvement outside of traditional
research directions.
But of perhaps of greater significance to the residential solar
industry as a whole is the soft cost savings advantage of the
SolarBridge TRUEAC system, which the manufacturer announced in a
study, on October 15, with a cost savings of 33 percent over
string inverters, according to Bryan Thomas, SolarBridge’s
director of product management, and the author of the study.
The SolarBridge study goal was to build on recent balance of
system soft cost analysis by Rocky Mountain Institute and
Georgia Tech Research Institute, which compared soft costs in
the United States to those in Germany. That analysis revealed
that German costs are 73 percent lower than those in the United
States.
But since the RMI and similar U.S. National Renewable Energy
Laboratory (NREL) focused only on string inverters for the basis
of their comparison, SolarBridge did its own survey, also
comparing the cost when SolarBridge TRUEAC modules were used,
when detached microinverters were used, and when a combination
of string inverters and DC optimizers were used.
SolarBridge surveyed “32 installers in 16 key solar states
across the country” and found that “for an average 5 kW
residential system, TRUEAC module use reduced total labor costs
by 33 percent compared to a string inverter, as well as by 35
percent compared to an Enphase detached microinverter, and by 48
percent compared to a SolarEdge power optimizers,” according to
Bryan Thomas, SolarBridge’s director of product management.
Employing a team of four — including two non-electricians and
two electricians — the average installation time for a string
inverter based residential system is 2.4 days, the study
indicates. Survey respondents with relevant experience said
using SolarBridge TRUEAC modules reduced their installation time
by an average of 24 percent compared to using string inverters
in the same installation, it concludes.
SunPower had already utilized SolarBridge’s AC inverters for
several years prior to the acquisition, and now the AC inverters
are expected to be tailored to the former’s top-of-the-line
X-Series residential panels.
HTML http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2014/11/sunpower-addition-of-ac-inverters-to-save-one-third-labor-cost#comment-137205
1 Comments
A. G. Gelbert
November 17, 2014
This is welcome good news. We all need to be energy independent
from centralized power facilities. This gives us the ability to
help a neighbor from storm damage and provides redundancy that
centralized power will never provide. Stronger community means a
stronger middle class and a more humane society.
One of the most important reasons the English Colonies in 18th
century America were able to shake off English tyranny is
because they could grow and/or manufacture everything they
needed, as well as provide their own energy.
We have forgotten that lesson. It's time we relearned it. The
more dependent we are, the more price control tyranny will be
exerted to fleece us. The more energy independent we are, the
more competitive the pricing for our infrastructure will be.
#Post#: 2334--------------------------------------------------
Re: Photvoltaics (PV)
By: AGelbert Date: December 5, 2014, 9:44 pm
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Sat Nov 29, 2014 at 08:28 PM EST.
[move][font=courier]
9 Million Solar Panels Spanning 9.5 Sq Miles: World's Largest
Solar Farm Becomes Fully Operational! ;D[/font][/move]
by
jpmassar
The first 500+ megawatt solar plant in the US, and the largest
solar plant in the world came online recently. Called the Topaz
Solar Farm, it was built on the Carrizo Plain, located between
San Francisco and Los Angeles, due east of San Luis Obispo. The
farm is now producing 550 megawatts, enough to keep the lights
on in 160,000 homes and displace 370,000 tons of carbon
emissions.
[center]
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HTML http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/11/29/1348326/-9-Million-Solar-Panels-Spanning-9-5-Sq-Miles-World-s-Largest-Solar-Farm-Becomes-Fully-Operational
#Post#: 2351--------------------------------------------------
Re: Photvoltaics (PV)
By: AGelbert Date: December 8, 2014, 5:38 pm
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Australian scientists announce solar energy breakthrough :o ;D
AFP
December 7, 2014 1:47 PM
In Australia, researchers were able to convert more than 40
percent of sunlight hitting solar panels …
Australian scientists said Monday they had made a breakthrough
in increasing the efficiency of solar panels, which they hope
could eventually lead to cheaper sources of renewable energy.
In what the University of New South Wales described as a world
first, the researchers were able to convert more than 40 percent
of sunlight hitting the panels into electricity.
"This is the highest efficiency ever reported for sunlight
conversion into electricity," UNSW Professor Martin Green said
in a statement.
"We used commercial solar cells, but in a new way, so these
efficiency improvements are readily accessible to the solar
industry."
While traditional methods use one solar cell, which limits the
conversion of sunlight to electricity to about 33 percent, the
newer technology splits the sunlight into four different cells,
which boosts the conversion levels, Green told AFP.
The record efficiency level was achieved in tests in Sydney and
replicated at the United States government's National Renewable
Energy Laboratory, the university said.
The prototype technology is set to be harnessed by Australian
company RayGen Resources for solar power towers, which use
sun-tracking mirrors to focus sunlight on a tall building.
Green is hopeful the technology can also eventually be used for
solar panels mounted on people's roofs, which he said currently
had a 15 to 18 percent efficiency rate.
"The panels that you have on the roof of your home, at the
moment they just have a single cell but eventually they'll have
several different cells... and they'll be able to improve their
efficiency to this kind of level," he told AFP.
Green said strides in technology made in the solar industry such
as the higher conversion levels were helping to drive down the
cost of renewable energy.
He was confident that in a decade solar-generated electricity
would be cheaper than that produced by coal.
HTML http://finance.yahoo.com/news/australian-scientists-announce-solar-energy-breakthrough-184749908--finance.html
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