I'll leave it to an electrical engineer to address the power/s.f. that this system could put out, but as an architect with some basic knowledge of solar electric systems here's my 2 cents.
From what I've gleaned from their website and the article, they're not claiming to have created more efficient solar cells, just cheaper ones.
Somewhere in the literature they state that they're getting 12% efficiency which isn't particularily high. I think that the highest efficiency chips are in the 15-18% range.
What they are claiming is that they can create these cells much cheaper than has been possible. From memory it's something like 13-18 cents/kwh for standard PV (without subsidies) and they can do it for 5.
It probably should be 120 watts per PANEL, not Square Inch.
I wouldn't discount it just by that error, it's probably a mistake by a non-technical journalist writing about a technical issue.
Is it irresponsible? Yes and no.
Giving the benefit of the doubt to their motives, I think it's just and honorable that they perform outreach to reduce the gender gap in the IT profession.
On the other hand, given my great and growing distrust of corporate ethics, my cynical side tells me that they wouldn't mind having an oversupply of labor to drive down wages.
Considering that women make 77% of men's wages,
http://www.aflcio.org/issuespolitics/women/equalpa y/index.cfm
it could be serving a dual purpose.
Slashdot Mirror
"Nor are all of them imaginative"!
Oooh, I disagree!
You make me so angry, I...I...uh...
Attack with my sword! }: (
I'll leave it to an electrical engineer to address the power/s.f. that this system could put out, but as an architect with some basic knowledge of solar electric systems here's my 2 cents.
From what I've gleaned from their website and the article, they're not claiming to have created more efficient solar cells, just cheaper ones.
Somewhere in the literature they state that they're getting 12% efficiency which isn't particularily high. I think that the highest efficiency chips are in the 15-18% range. What they are claiming is that they can create these cells much cheaper than has been possible. From memory it's something like 13-18 cents/kwh for standard PV (without subsidies) and they can do it for 5.
It probably should be 120 watts per PANEL, not Square Inch.
I wouldn't discount it just by that error, it's probably a mistake by a non-technical journalist writing about a technical issue.
Is it irresponsible? Yes and no. Giving the benefit of the doubt to their motives, I think it's just and honorable that they perform outreach to reduce the gender gap in the IT profession. On the other hand, given my great and growing distrust of corporate ethics, my cynical side tells me that they wouldn't mind having an oversupply of labor to drive down wages. Considering that women make 77% of men's wages, http://www.aflcio.org/issuespolitics/women/equalpa y/index.cfm
it could be serving a dual purpose.