New Low Cost Solar Panels Ready for Mass Production

Sampath has developed a continuous, automated manufacturing process for solar panels using glass coating with a cadmium telluride thin film instead of the standard high-cost crystalline silicon.

Sept. 10, 2007 -- Colorado State University's method for manufacturing low-cost, high-efficiency solar panels is nearing mass production. AVA Solar Inc. will start production by the end of next year on the technology developed by mechanical engineering Professor W.S. Sampath at Colorado State. The new 200-megawatt factory is expected to employ up to 500 people. Based on the average household usage, 200 megawatts will power 40,000 U.S. homes.

Produced at less than $1 per watt, the panels will dramatically reduce the cost of generating solar electricity and could power homes and businesses around the globe with clean energy for roughly the same cost as traditionally generated electricity.

This is Great, this has been one of the reason solar power has not been more widely used.

This story from Feb 2007 states:
Cheap solar power poised to undercut oil and gas by half

Within five years, solar power will be cheap enough to compete with carbon-generated electricity, even in Britain, Scandinavia or upper Siberia. In a decade, the cost may have fallen so dramatically that solar cells could undercut oil, gas, coal and nuclear power by up to half. Technology is leaping ahead of a stale political debate about fossil fuels.

And the kicker:

The "tipping point" will arrive when the capital cost of solar power falls below $1 (51p) per watt, roughly the cost of carbon power. We are not there yet. The best options today vary from $3 to $4 per watt - down from $100 in the late 1970s.

Seem like we just arrived!

This is the kinda stuff we need to ween ourselves off of oil. Now we will see if they can make it all work, it they can it would be awesome. Pollution Free Energy.

I hope It all works out, as this would greatly reduce pollution (atleast I hope so) and since it's low cost I fancy buying one too

I really hope that America jumps on this bandwagon soon, as the oil based economy wont be surviving for long...

if you can't beat em, then patent protect and overproduce them, I always say...

It's good to hear that solar powered energy will become more widely used, but i would not suspect that it will cease the oil boom, or the demand for oil. Our motor vehicles still run on the fossil fuels, and we are far from creating an efficient solar car, although who knows what the future holds. Still, my argument remains, oil will not lose its use. You must also remember the other uses oil products have, everything from pharmacuticals to plastics.

Originally posted by newage2012
It's good to hear that solar powered energy will become more widely used, but i would not suspect that it will cease the oil boom, or the demand for oil. Our motor vehicles still run on the fossil fuels, and we are far from creating an efficient solar car, although who knows what the future holds. Still, my argument remains, oil will not lose its use. You must also remember the other uses oil products have, everything from pharmacuticals to plastics.

I do see your point, however if solar power in the 70's cost $100 to produce and today it now costs $1 to produce what will that price be in another ten years. This can out compete oil in a very short time, at least for producing energy for homes and industry. I don't know how much oil will be saved but I would guess a lot.

And its pollution free...!

Directed to Lazurus:

America will only jump the bandwagon with $$ printed on the side, If there is no capital gains for the man, then you can kiss this wagon good bye. They are going to use oil untill the skys are black with pollution, their pockets are lined with green, and there is no oil left. They don't care about anything but making money. So for this to happen we the citizens have to make it happen ourselves. There are several incentives to help with the cost of doing so. I suggest you all look into this alternative if you are tired of paying for hydro. There is also solar heating, solar hot water heating, and wind generator usage. Not to mention GeoThermal, BioMass, and micro Generation.

As long as big oil and big auto are in business they will lobby the government and depress any other form of energy until every single friggin drop of oil has been used.

I just watched a documentary yesterday (must have missed it before) about what happened to the electric car, namely the GM EV1. I was shocked at how not only did GM take back all their leased EV1's but all the other big auto makers followed suit. What did they do then? Well, they crushed them! Yes, in many cases brand new electric cars and trucks were destroyed with people begging to re up leases all the way to the end. Apparently there are a few EV1's parked in a lot rotting away right now. The only reason they haven't been crushed yet is that the EV1 rights group is watching them like a hawk last time I knew. Seems these "supposedly" inadequate cars that required a fraction of servicing and parts not to mention no gasoline just weren't going to work according to GM. Said they couldn't sell them after doing little to no advertising to the effect of people not even knowing they existed. In fact, I scour the net daily and knew very little about the EV1 and nothing of the electric ford ranger and electric rav4. Not to mention other totally electric vehicles that were, you guessed it! All destroyed!

In fact, seems GM and others were just doing this little development deal to eventually squash it in the long run when they proved that America wasn't ready for the totally electric car. So much so did they not want it to fly that they actually bought the rights to a new long range battery pack and instead put inferior batteries in the first EV1's. Then to ensure failure they promptly sold the rights to the "good batteries" to none other than big oil.

So tell me, do we even have a chance here? As long as those two megaindustries are around they will shove oil down our throats and lobby the government to back them.

You watch, how fast the coal guys, etc... join in to squash these new solar panels. We aren't stupid, there should have been affordable alternative and efficient alternative energy available to everyone 10 years ago.

Should there be less oil than estimated then even big oil will need to find a new identity in the future, and I should think it would segue into solar and alternative energy sources.

While I am personally interested in residential application of the technology, it would be of enormous benefit if such technology were mandated for governmental institutions and other corporate entities.

Chalk one up for American ingenuity! With our economic downturn, this major breakthru couldn't've come at a better time.

I agree with you in many ways LDragonFire, its very exciting to see that an alternate source of power can be used by the masses and im sure we will begin to see home systems that dont require the main grid for power. You might also be interested in the solar power stations now existing or the ones that are on the drawing board. European nations made a start, and I do believe the middle east have a project as well, and I just read an article of portugals plans. I suggest you go on google and type in "solar power station" youll be surprised how much information there is on this topic

reply to post by LDragonFire


Nice story but it will never see the light of day... we all know who is in control it starts with oil and ends with company. Do you know what the average MPG a model t could get almost 100 years ago... Show me 25 miles to gallon.. DING. Number one answer. Guess if todays average is higher or lower... nearly a CENTURY later... Who is in control?

[edit on 24-9-2007 by shug7272]

Originally posted by shug7272
reply to post by LDragonFire

 

Nice story but it will never see the light of day... we all know who is in control it starts with oil and ends with company. Do you know what the average MPG a model t could get almost 100 years ago... Show me 25 miles to gallon.. DING. Number one answer. Guess if todays average is higher or lower... nearly a CENTURY later... Who is in control?

[edit on 24-9-2007 by shug7272]

I disagree, its all about the money If producing energy with solar is cheaper than oil, it will win. I don't feel they[the oil companies] can stop this one. It will become a worldwide effort. now as for cars you might be right on there, China's car get more MPG than American cars.

reply to post by LDragonFire


Will we be able to buy these panels for equipping our homes?

reply to post by parry noid



I know of a lot of people who would love to use solar power but don't have 25k hanging around for the initial investment.

If it becomes affordable, you can bet a lot more people will start using it.

One of the myths is that you have to be in a sunny area for solar power. It works anywhere that you get daylight. In fact, I believe it is Germany or a little further north that uses the most solar power.

People can make money off of it now. They hook up to the grid and sell it back to the power company. One guy made 300 a month selling his surplus. Now if everyone hooks up, that won't be the case, but it will certainly make a dramatic cut in fossil fuel usage.

This is the tipping point we have been waiting for. If it is affordable, many more companies and people willstart using it, and you will start seeing it everwhere soon. Just like any invention when the price drops.

Originally posted by thatblissguy
reply to post by LDragonFire

 

Will we be able to buy these panels for equipping our homes?

The posted article was referring to a solar power plant, that could power 400 homes, but time will tell. I bet there will be a type you can buy for the individual home in time, using this type of technology.

Hmmm, it seems to me that we've had the next breakthrough, revolutionary energy technology dangled just out of reach for so long. It's like we're just being teased, or appeased... Like, "hold on, almost there, practically finished". Though it's really, "keep buying oil for now, we'll let you know."

Just a couple days ago, I saw a BMW commercial advertising their new Hydrogen 7 car. I think it's great, but I don't expect to be seeing any on the road any time soon. It seems like all these things are like concepts or prototypes that never ultimately make it to the assembly line. And when they have, as stated above with the electric car, they are squashed out, literally.

I hate to be so skeptical, but I really will not be surprised when 15 years down the road we're still being told our independence from oil is just around the corner. I really do hope to be proved wrong. Until then, I am saving to convert my little Civic to a pure electric. The technology is here, it's just we'll never see it if we continue to passively rely on someone else to serve it up to us so simple as that. There are too many established interests that don't want it to happen.

Who knows though, hopefully I am wrong and this really is the turning point. It would be great if at some point in the near future we're all charging our electric vehicles at our off-the-grid solar powered homes. Sounds good anyway.

reply to post by evilod


Just great! So instead of using a proven alternatives such as diesel engines(can burn any oil!! say SVO,WVO,ect), you want to fill our landfills with gigantic dead car battery cells. Europe has already gone 50% diesel, google it and find out why.

Originally posted by evilod
Hmmm, it seems to me that we've had the next breakthrough, revolutionary energy technology dangled just out of reach for so long. It's like we're just being teased, or appeased... Like, "hold on, almost there, practically finished". Though it's really, "keep buying oil for now, we'll let you know."

It doesn't help with the kind of administration we have in the White House at the present time. The Bush oil family would be the last bunch that would help out this type of technology.

Just a couple days ago, I saw a BMW commercial advertising their new Hydrogen 7 car. I think it's great, but I don't expect to be seeing any on the road any time soon. It seems like all these things are like concepts or prototypes that never ultimately make it to the assembly line. And when they have, as stated above with the electric car, they are squashed out, literally.

Here is a good thread on Who killed The Electric Car? knowledge is power, learn and spread the information.

I hate to be so skeptical, but I really will not be surprised when 15 years down the road we're still being told our independence from oil is just around the corner. I really do hope to be proved wrong. Until then, I am saving to convert my little Civic to a pure electric. The technology is here, it's just we'll never see it if we continue to passively rely on someone else to serve it up to us so simple as that. There are too many established interests that don't want it to happen.

There are many new interests that will continue rise up and compete against the powers that be. Lets hope they have some success.

Who knows though, hopefully I am wrong and this really is the turning point. It would be great if at some point in the near future we're all charging our electric vehicles at our off-the-grid solar powered homes. Sounds good anyway.

Originally posted by LordBaskettIV
reply to post by evilod

 

Just great! So instead of using a proven alternatives such as diesel engines(can burn any oil!! say SVO,WVO,ect), you want to fill our landfills with gigantic dead car battery cells. Europe has already gone 50% diesel, google it and find out why.

The batteries are recyclable.

By the way, imagine how much money big auto would lose in replacement parts for the internal combustion engine, not to mention scheduled maintenance and repair labor.

I agree with evilod, this carrot on a string thing is getting old fast!

As for me, I plan to try that water/hydrogen conversion. From what I see it's a simple conversion and can be easily run on gas if needed but water is pretty easy to come across.

I hate to be a naysayer but I've seen so many breakthroughs that end in "this will be available to the general pop in just 10 years" and 10 years never comes.

Good contributions here so far and since our various self styled leaders are not going to let us near really cheap energy we must redouble our efforts to at least gain access to cheap solar and wind power.

Keep up the good posting.

Stellar

[edit on 25-9-2007 by StellarX]