MIT Unveils First Solar Cells Printed On Paper

lucidkoan writes "MIT researchers recently unveiled the world's first thin-film solar cell printed on a sheet of paper. The panel was created using a process similar to that of an inkjet printer, producing semiconductor-coated paper imbued with carbon-based dyes that give the cells an efficiency of 1.5 to 2 percent. That's not incredibly efficient, but the convenience factor makes up for it. And in the future, researchers hope that the same process used in the paper solar cells could be used to print cells on metal foil or even plastic. If they're able to gear efficiencies up to scale, the development could revolutionize the production and installation of solar panels."

Comments

Lots of "ifs"

[gyrogeerloose]

It would be great if this turns into a workable process but it seems like someone publishes a similar article like every week and only rarely does it amount to anything.

Re:Lots of "ifs"

[anza]

99% of science isn't big jumps and revolutionary new ideas. It's incremental gains and slow but (usually) steady progress. Proof of concept of printing solar cells on paper is a pretty substantial deal, even if it isn't usable in the market yet.

Re:Lots of "ifs"

[timeOday]

And that is manifest by the fact that solar power has dropped in price by about 1/3 (page 10) (pdf warning) in the decade from 1998 to 2008. So the idea that solar is "always coming and never arrives" is not true. It's getting more affordable all the time and the installed base is growing very rapidly (page 8).

Now if we can just eliminate the other 2/3 of the price solar energy will be free :)

During that same period, oil prices (also in inflation-adjusted dollars) went up by 500%. (Doubtless they have retreated during the recession; it's hilarious how quickly we all stop worrying about it as soon as prices fall at the pump. In a year gas will be sky-high again).

Good

[Hal_Porter]

Time is running out for the House of Saud.

Once solar becomes ubiquitous they'll need to swap their imported cars for camels. And we won't have to worry about spoiled idiots funding Jihad as a hobby.

Re:Good

[TrumpetPower!]

oodaloop wrote:

Saudi Arabia has about 260 billion barrels of oil in proven reserves (which means they likely have more they haven't found yet). They produce about 10 million barrels of oil per day. That means their oil lifespan is about 70 years, just on what we know they have right now.

Ever heard of this rather obscure mathematical property known as exponential growth?

Cheers,

b&

You mean like this?

[Anonymous Coward]

http://www.nanosolar.com/

Too bad

[sophomoric]

Too bad most of the paper I use is down where the sun don't shine.

Not the first, not by a long shot

[ArcRiley]

This is not the first. A company in New Hampshire has been printing, with a 4-ink inkjet process, solar cells for years now. A quick patent search shows dozens of other groups with their own solar-from-inkjet techniques.

Sounds like the MIT guys failed to do their research.

Re:Not the first, not by a long shot

[Bakkster]

I think all of the other companies doing solar-with-inkjet have been printing on plastic or metal substrates. MIT is printing on a paper (and thus cheap, flexible, and renewable) substrate.

The printing isn't the important part, but what it is being printed upon.

How long do they last?

[BlueParrot]

A common problem with many alternative solar cell technologies have been that they have not been durable or degraded on UV exposure.

Being able to produce cheaper solar cells will not gain you much in $/kWh terms if the cells degrade correspondingly quicker than silicon based ones.

Basically with photo-voltaics there seems to be: { Cheap, Efficient , Durable } , Pick 2.

I would not consider myself a nay-sayer. Indeed I think solar is a great energy source where sun is plentiful, but at the moment I just don't think photo-voltaics can even hold a candle to thermal designs. Like modern solar troughs.

Nonfossil energy

[Paracelcus]

Biomass, big city sewage/animal waste in the country, and the nineteenth century's gift to the twenty first, the Stirling engine.
You could power city's and farms on the methane given off by crap.

Please God Nooo.....

[s0litaire]

..Don't let "Hallmark" get access to this or we'll be stuck with those annoying greetings cards that play stupid messages forever & they will never stop!!!

Re:I suggest you look up "Hubbert peak"

[hamburger lady]

actually it's been reported that SA has been highballing the estimates for decades. which makes sense, as OPEC quotas are based on stated reserves - the more you claim to have in reserves the more you can pump and sell and the more money you make.

it's in every OPEC country's best interest to overstate their reserves. and of course, nobody outside of aramco is allowed to actually independently verify those numbers.