Do'st A Mighty (Solar) Wind Approacheth?
DARPA and venture cap-funded Nanosolar in Silcon Valley seems to be building up a head of steam as it attempts to substantially adance the state of solar energy. Assuming the claims on their site are not too exaggerated, they certainly are kicking the ass of current solar approaches. As follows:
Current Crystalline Silicon versus Nanosolar's printed solar cells - Key Differences - Production: wafer processing vs. printing
- Sustained Throughput (fpm): 1-2 vs. 100
- Energy Payback Time: 4 Years vs. 3 weeks
- Product Weight (per sqm): 5-10 kg vs. 500 g
- Bendability: brittle vs. flexible
In the hallowed AE technology pantheon, solar's been cool yet (economically) remote, not unlike the god Apollo. Wind and water-driven turbine deployments have scaled far more quickly as they've been about 1/10th the price per kilowatt hour. Yet some sense solar's appeal and potential, and the Nanosolar folks are doing their damndest to accelerate the practicality of the production of solar, as well as easing deployment by making lighter and more flexible stuff. If these guys continue in this direction without hitting a huge roadblock, AEman forsees solar on every roof, cooking the chicken in every pot.
posted by Andy Bochman at 9:20 AM
 
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