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Self-Assembling Photovoltaic Cells
dhj writes "MIT scientists have developed a self-assembling photovoltaic cell in a petri dish. Phospholipids (think cell membranes) form disks which act as the structural support for light responsive molecules. Carbon nanotubes help to align the disks and conduct electricity generated by the system with 40% efficiency. The assembly process is reversible using surfactants to break up the phospholipids. When filters are used to remove the surfactants the system reassembles with no loss of efficiency even over multiple assembly/disassembly cycles. The results were published September 5th in Nature Chemistry."
To be tossed in the same boxes as "may lead to a cure for obesity" or "may lead to breakthrough in cancer treatment."
Wake me when I can buy it at Wal-Mart, and if there's a penny stock or investment opportunity, I'm not interested.
Please do not read this sig. Thank you.
Dude...you need to get out more.
Don't bother... I've been there. Way overrated IMO.
I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
That's true, but plants turn carbon from the air into a solid. If my solar panels could manufacture carbon fiber bicycles, I'd be really happy.
Negative. You're assuming that if power use decreases by 10-20%, the cost of power will decrease. It will not. The power company will charge more for less.
Also, $200/mo light bill?! Maybe for AC in Phoenix... but that's a lot of lights. :)
Hydroelectric and nuclear power aren't ever going to be turned down,
Not entirely true, as someone has already noted. Hydro especially can be turned "up and down" as demand dictates. We burn very little oil for electricity - it's too expensive for that. We do burn a lot of coal though, and if solar were capable of supplying just 10-20% of our energy needs, it would certainly put a dent in the cost of coal-generated power.
Who cares? Use solar where it's economical. Use something else in Lansing.
Let's assume I can sell you a very very cheap solar cell that runs at 2% efficiency. In this case, you will quickly recoup your investment, but you aren't producing much power. Do you plan to make your roof 5 to 10 times as large?
No, but if they're cheap enough at just 2% efficiency to pay for themselves quickly, it might make sense to cover the sides of buildings with them, as well as parking garages, covered parking spaces, the sides of freeways, etc. So in aggregate you could end up generating just as much power as you might with more expensive, more efficient cells, just by carpeting every exposed surface with them.
However, most cells these days are in the 10% and up efficiency range, and growing more efficient (and cheaper) with each passing year. So your hypothetical seems kinda unlikely.
Speaking from experience, when demand for a utility goes down 10-20%, the utility company will try to raise rates 10-20% based on the fact that they have had a drop in revenue, but still have the same costs.