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Method for $1/Watt Solar Panels Will Soon See Commercial Use
An anonymous reader writes "A method developed at Colorado State University for crafting solar panels has been developed to the point where they are nearly ready for mass production. Professor W.S. Sampath's technique has resulted in a low-cost, high-efficiency process for creating the panels, which will soon be fabricated by a commercial interest. 'Produced at less than $1 per watt, the panels will dramatically reduce the cost of generating solar electricity and could power homes and businesses around the globe with clean energy for roughly the same cost as traditionally generated electricity. Sampath has developed a continuous, automated manufacturing process for solar panels using glass coating with a cadmium telluride thin film instead of the standard high-cost crystalline silicon. Because the process produces high efficiency devices (ranging from 11% to 13%) at a very high rate and yield, it can be done much more cheaply than with existing technologies.'"
A 2003 study on French dietary intake showed an average intake of 3.6 micrograms cadmium per day. Multiply that by the us population of around 300 million, and the US population should be able to safely consume at least 9 grams of cadmium per day. Multiply that by 365 days a year, and we (as a nation) should be able to ingest at least 3.2 kilograms over the course of the year.
Therefore, the solution to the cadium waste is obvious. Put it in the water. After all, dilution is the solution to pollution.
Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
Well, if exposure to the sun is going to cause them to deteriorate and turn brown, you should probably try to install them in a shady location to prolong their life.
Depending on the investment in the solar panels, I might even consider setting up some sort of permanent awning to protect them from the sun at all times - protecting my investment as it were.
But an awning can only offer so much protection ... really the only surefire way to protect your solar panels from sunlight-induced degradation is to install them in some kind of underground environment where they are completely isolated from the environments.
You guys are amateurs. I have installed my solar panels in an underground cave with a sealed access point along with my wind turbines. My solar panels never deteriorate due to solar degradation and my turbines never suffer the terrible wear and tear that is caused by constant motion. I figure that they should last 10x as long as an irresponsibly deployed solar/turbine array, which means I'll get 10x the return on my investment!
I hate printers.
wow, I was reading this thread and was utterly shocked at how people could get things so backwards. solar panels were meant to be used - degradation is inevitable. There is no need to protect them from the environment; you need to expose them to more environment. With only 11% efficiency you need as much light energy as possible to capture. That is why I poor kerosene on mine and light them ablaze. With all that direct light from the fire, I get unbelievable amounts of power before the unit dies.
When all else fails, try.