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Domain: iowathinfilm.com

Stories and comments across the archive that link to iowathinfilm.com.

Comments · 8

  1. Re:United Solar Ovonics by lucyfersam · · Score: 1 · on Pliable Solar Cells on a Roll

    I wouldn't put too much faith in anything ECD says... Forbes had a great article titled Repeat Pretender (reprinted here) about Stan Ovshinsky, the master con-man behind the company. A number of people have attempted and claimed a commercially viable roll-to-roll process for solar, but from what I can see the only company to actually produce modules with it is Iowa Thin Film Technologies.

  2. Flexible solar cells have been available for years by Animats · · Score: 1 · on Pliable Solar Cells on a Roll

    From US companies, too. The current leader in thinness is PowerFilm flexible solar panels. Flexible panels have been available for years from Ovonics; they're widely used on boats. Some sailboats have solar panels in the sails.

  3. And you can buy them by Migraineman · · Score: 2, Informative · on Pliable Solar Cells on a Roll

    TFA talks about the product entering mainstream production in a couple of years. You can purchase the Iowa Thin Film solar cells now. They're about 7% efficient, as they claim. They're not expensive, and you can get them at a number of distributors. I've personally used Jameco and Sundance Solar.

  4. What about Iowa Thin Film Technologies? by jjeffers · · Score: 1 · on Pliable Solar Cells on a Roll

    Right down the road from me is Iowa Thin Film Technologies who have been making these sort of things for a number of years. Disclaimer: I wasn't able to access TFA so I could be way off base. -Jim KB0THN

  5. Iowa Thin Film Technologies by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative · on Pliable Solar Cells on a Roll

    The poster might have been thinking about Iowa Thin Film Techologies...

  6. Re:Solar powered? by Meostro · · Score: 2, Informative · on Epson's 12 Gram Flying Robot

    Did a little research, methinks the power-weight ration of solar is crappier than anything around.

    Even with this thin-film solar cell, this little fella would need 133in^2 of surface area, and the solar cells alone would weigh 21.6g.

    Too bad, but it'd still be cool to make an RC plane/predator/mini-uav/whatnot with the RC Aircraft series.

  7. Re:Solar powered? by Meostro · · Score: 2, Informative · on Epson's 12 Gram Flying Robot

    Did a little research, methinks the power-weight ration of solar is crappier than anything around.

    Even with this thin-film solar cell, this little fella would need 133in^2 of surface area, and the solar cells alone would weigh 21.6g.

    Too bad, but it'd still be cool to make an RC plane/predator/mini-uav/whatnot with the RC Aircraft series.

  8. Re:robustness by caferace · · Score: 2, Informative · on Start the Presses: Printable Circuits Nearly Ready
    I'm wondering how robust these circuits are going to be, i.e. how long are they going to last and how sensitive they have to be handled. Couldn't seem to find this info in the article.

    Dig deeper...

    They sound robust enough for some practical applications. Remember, it's always your responsibility as the end-user to make things work. :)