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Pliable Solar Cells on a Roll
klevin writes "New Scientist is running a story on someone else who's developed thin, flexible, photovoltaic cells: 'The thin and bendy solar panels can be stuck to fabrics, sheets or backpacks and promise a go-anywhere electricity supply.' Whatever happened to those sheets of solar cells that some university here in the US developed several years back? As I remember, the concept was that they could be draped across roof-tops and whatnot. Never heard anything after that." We had post about solar building clothing last year.
Would be good to use as a solar sail, I bet.
stuff
I think this type of material could be very useful to provide electricity in places that do not have access to a reliable electrical grid.
How many watts are needed to run a a phone, a refrigerator, a radio or a computer?
Screw clothing to charge cellphones, etc. I can't think of a more petty use.
The major impact of this tech has nothing to do with its portability/flexibility. The article estimates that the price for a final process fab will be about 1 euro per watt, compared to a highly competitive market which has so far only produced 5.6 euro per watt glass panels.
Simply put, this would make photovoltaics as an energy source an order of magnitude more competitive, if the process is scalable.
People in Soviet Russia, however, appear to be afflicted with amusing juxtapositions of the aforementioned situation
Get over the terrorist thing. Stop letting them win with your paranoid thoughts.
"Go into the hall of mirrors and have a bloody hard look at yourself" - HG Nelson
But unless they can make it much thinner, this WOULDN'T make a good solar sail.
At "a little thicker than photographic film", it is probably too heavy to be a good solar sail material.
(Yeah, I know you never said it would, but you do seem to be defending that position.)
a,e,i,o,u and sometimes w and y (at be if of up cwm by)
It didn't say it was ultra-powerful, it says it was thin and cheap in trade for efficiency (and possibly usefulness)
A truly inventive person can use anything to any purpose. Don't fear the technology, fear the people using it. If we abandoned all technology used by terrorists, we'd be living in caves and the government would be licensing the use of fire, wheels, and hammers.
-- guns don't kill people, kids playing video games kill people
Thank you, so a cost of $93 sqm making close to $4,000 to cover 40sqm, or a repayment time of 6 years. Not so good, They won't get you to disconnect from the grid
The memories of a man in his old age are the deeds of a man in his prime - Floyd, Pink
I think solar power would be great for my home,
;)
It spends a lot of time out in the sun.
But my clothing?
I don't spend nearly as much time in the sun as my home does
Cheers,
-- The Dude
Holy Crap! Am I the only one that read this as a joke? Geez, some people take things way too seriously...and whoever modded this "Insightful" as opposed to "Funny" needs to grow a sense of humour.