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Breakthrough in solar photovoltaics

Posted by Hemos on from the nano-vapor dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The Holy Grail of researchers in the field of solar photovoltaic (SPV) electricity is to generate it at a lower cost than that of grid electricity. The goal now seems to be within reach. A Palo Alto (California ) start-up, named Nanosolar Inc., founded in 2002, claims that it has developed a commercial scale technology that can deliver solar electricity at 5 cents per kilowatt-hour. " As always, take these claims with a dose of salt the size of the Hope Diamond.

9 of 676 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Cost ? by Ruie · · Score: 5, Funny
    Could we "coat" a laptop with these in order to enhance its battery life duration ?


    Yes we can. However it would be called "rooftop"
    then - the article lists the size of 120 watt panel as 14 feet by 10 feet.


    You'll get a really large screen though.

  2. From TFA by Joe12Pack · · Score: 5, Funny

    "The breakthrough has come through the application of nanotechnology to create components via molecular self-assembly, including quantum dots (10nm large nanoparticles) as well as nanotemplates with structural order extending through all three dimensions." Even more exciting, the raw material used in this process is snake oil.....

  3. Re:Cost ? by $eth31 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Of course, even with THAT large of a screen, there'll still be people who INSIST on using 800x600

  4. Grain of Salt by soloport · · Score: 4, Funny

    Not too good with reverse-logic, are we?

    The reference is to a grain of salt because, with just a grain of salt, one wouldn't eat much of what's being served.

    To take something with a dose of salt "the size of the Hope Diamond", well, one could conceivably eat the whole thing -- wait for it... -- hook, line and sinker.

  5. Snake Oil? Snake Oil? They have pictures by pklong · · Score: 5, Funny

    This isn't snake oil. They have pictures up here.

    --

    Philip

    Signatures are broken

  6. Re:Cost ? by Proaxiom · · Score: 5, Funny
    The problem with all this is that a large portion of the country that consumes a lot of power is in areas that don't get enough sunlight per year to be efficient.

    Indeed. If only we had some means of moving electricity from one place to another.

  7. Re:Per Square _inch_? [THAT'S CORRECT] by ryanvm · · Score: 4, Funny

    No, that's correct - it is 120 watts per square inch. What they don't tell you is that you have to install a 300 foot diameter magnifying glass over your house.

  8. Re:Cost ? by dheltzel · · Score: 5, Funny
    Seriously, solar power is ridiculously overrated. The energy density of sunlight at the earth's surface is simply too low to be practical. Way too much real estate would have to be used to make any realistic amounts of power, and at those scales, upkeep becomes prohibitively expensive.

    Shhh!

    Don't tell the plants. If they find out that sunlight is impractical as a power source, we'll be in a real pickle, a real pickle, I tell ya'

  9. Dose of Salt... why post? by lbmouse · · Score: 4, Funny

    As always, take these claims with a dose of salt the size of the Hope Diamond.

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