Spheral Solar Technology Approaching Reality

CactusMan writes: "A technology previously owned by Texas Instruments and then Ontario Hydro, Spheral Solar Technology is 'a low-cost alternative [to conventional solar cell technologies] involving flexible, lightweight solar cells comprised of thousands of tiny silicon spheres in an aluminum foil, which can be "formed and applied to virtually any curved or flat surface."' Automated Tooling Systems has just received $29.5 million (Canadian) to bring the technology to commercial viability. Read the article here or go directly to the Spheral site."

Comments

Tinfoil hats in now in!

[eyepeepackets]

A billion geeks walking around in aluminum foil hats powering their wearable electronic tools and toys.

So why didn't Orwell see that one?

Efficiency?

[DustMagnet]

Did any one find out how efficient this material will be?
I searched up and down on the site and found some really cool stuff. It's very light and very durable, but no specs. Normally when someone talks about a new solar panel, they mention the efficiency. I'm worried it might be really low, so they hid it.

I've been wishing for low cost solar panels all my life.

Re:Efficiency?

[Midnight Thunder]

Looking around the net with google I found this link that indicates 8 to 10% efficiency. This is fairly low when compared to standard solar cells ( see CNN article ) which indicates 40% efficiency. Although spheral solar cells aren't as efficient, since they can be used in places where regular solar cells can't, any efficiency is better than none at all.

Even...

[mindstrm]

if they aren't as efficient as conventional cells, if they are a lot cheaper to produce, and more durable, useful in more environments, etc.... then it works out.

The problem isn't so much the efficiency of current cells as it is the cost.