| Pages:
1
2 |
Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
Member Is Offline
Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
|
|
cheap soler panels
I just herd on the news that a semiconductor company has developed a new proses to produce soler panels that will reduce the price by more than 50%.
I will try to git more info and post here.
[Edited on 4-10-2005 by Bruce R Leech]
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
 |
|
|
Tommy A
Nomad
Posts: 221
Registered: 5-19-2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, Ca
Member Is Offline
Mood: Relaxed
|
|
Don't think this pertains to the original question, but good article I thought was interesting.
Thursday, October 2, 2003 Posted: 4:13 PM EDT (2013 GMT)
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -- A major European chip maker said this week it had discovered new ways to produce solar cells which will generate electricity
twenty times cheaper than today's solar panels.
STMicroelectronics, Europe's largest semiconductor maker, said that, by the end of next year, it expected to have made the first stable prototypes of
the new cells, which could then be put into production.
Most of today's solar cells, which convert sunlight into electricity, are produced with expensive silicon, the same material used in most
semiconductors.
The French-Italian company expects cheaper organic materials such as plastics to bring down the price of producing energy. Over a typical 20-year life
span of a solar cell, a single produced watt should cost as little as $0.20, compared with the current $4.
The new solar cells would even be able to compete with electricity generated by burning fossil fuels such as oil and gas, which costs about $0.40 per
watt, said Salvo Coffa, who heads ST's research group that is developing the technology.
"This would revolutionize the field of solar energy generation," he said.
ST's trick is to use materials that are less efficient in producing energy from sunlight but which are extremely cheap.
This would revolutionize the field of solar energy generation.
-- ST researcher Salvo Coffa
Coffa said the materials should be able to turn at least 10 percent of the sun's energy into power, compared with some 20 percent for today's
expensive silicon-based cells.
"We believe we can demonstrate 10 percent efficiency by the end of 2004," Coffa said.
Following that, ST and others would need to develop production technologies to make solar cells and panels in large quantities to achieve the $0.20
per watt target, he said.
"Our target is fixed at $0.20," said Coffa, who expects no major technological difficulties in going from prototypes to mass-produced commercial
products.
Renewable energy is an essential part of research for ST, which says its chip and material expertise can be used to develop future solar cells and
fuel cells.
ST said three weeks ago it had found a new way to produce tiny yet extremely efficient fuel cells that could power a mobile phone for 20 days.
|
|
|
Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
Member Is Offline
Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
|
|
That sounds Like it could be the one
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
|
|
|
Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
Member Is Offline
Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by Pompano
Does anybody know if these or similar solar panels are on the US market yet? I tried a search but came up empty on the .20/watt selection. This sure
would revolutionize power supply in Baja! |
not yet but it should not be to long
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
|
|
|
Sharksbaja
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5814
Registered: 9-7-2004
Location: Newport, Mulege B.C.S.
Member Is Offline
|
|
hi tech solar is coming...
http://www.nanosolar.com/products.htm
DON\'T SQUINT! Give yer eyes a break!
Try holding down [control] key and toggle the [+ and -] keys
Viva Mulege!
Nomads\' Sunsets
|
|
|
comitan
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4177
Registered: 3-27-2004
Location: La Paz
Member Is Offline
Mood: mellow
|
|
Pompano, When you receive the info please share it with us nomads.
Strive For The Ideal, But Deal With What\'s Real.
Every day is a new day, better than the day before.(from some song)
Lord, Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.
“The sincere pursuit of truth requires you to entertain the possibility that everything you believe to be true may in fact be false”
|
|
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
Posts: N/A
Registered: N/A
Member Is Offline
|
|
Hey Roger.... e-mail me. mexrick1@prodigy.net.mx Where's that article you wrote about Sid? I'd like to read it.
|
|
|
wornout
Senior Nomad
Posts: 595
Registered: 10-24-2004
Location: San Felipe, Baja California
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Bad Days
|
|
The overview diagram indicates they are 110v, this will work great during the day.
This Space Available, E-Mail Me If Interested.
|
|
|
Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
Member Is Offline
Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by wornout
The overview diagram indicates they are 110v, this will work great during the day. |
they will store to Battery's 10 12v battery's or 20 6v battery's make 120 v this is the way they wire the larger systems it works allot more
efficiently going through the inverter.
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
|
|
|
wornout
Senior Nomad
Posts: 595
Registered: 10-24-2004
Location: San Felipe, Baja California
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Bad Days
|
|
Sounds like they would be great for a big system. I run 10 panels and six L16 6v batteries here at the house in San Felipe and the is fine for all we
run now that I turn my panels during the day. One problem I would have on the 110v system is I have a 12v SunFrost Fridge, marine radio and various
lights I run on 12v. So then I would be converting back to 12v.
One would have to have a large power demand to warrant 20 6v batteries. I hope the technology filters down to a 12v system then I am in.
This Space Available, E-Mail Me If Interested.
|
|
|
neilmac
Nomad
Posts: 127
Registered: 1-3-2005
Member Is Offline
|
|
re: Nanosolar....
Did they not specify a watt output for that 10'x14' sheet? I didn't see it.... I'd expect about 1400w; if it's similar to conventional silicone
panels, which they DID say.
Neil
|
|
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
Posts: N/A
Registered: N/A
Member Is Offline
|
|
I currently run 16 100-watt Photowatt solar panels, 16 6-Volt Trojan batts, a 4500 watt Trace invertor/charger, C-40 Trace monitor, and generate/store
enough power to light the house, run a bedroom A/C, 6 ceiling fans, TV's, radios, Internet, vacuum cleaner, toaster, and...groan...a hair dryer..I
drew the line at a SOL fridge..we use propane Crystal Colds.
I could use some new solar technology.
|
|
|
El Jefe
Super Nomad
Posts: 1027
Registered: 10-27-2003
Location: South East Cape
Member Is Offline
|
|
Pompamo, ..... a bedroom air conditioner.....ooohhh that sounds nice. I had thought that AC units drew too much juice to be run on a solar system
unless it was prohibatively big and expensive. It would sure be nice to sleep in the cool, cool, cool of the evening during the summer. Now you've got
me thinking. When we design our system, I will keep an AC in mind for the bedroom. Do you have one of those little ones that sit on the floor with the
exhaust hose to the exterior?
No b-tchin\' in the Baja.
|
|
|
comitan
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4177
Registered: 3-27-2004
Location: La Paz
Member Is Offline
Mood: mellow
|
|
The ones you are interested in are called Mini-splits and yes they are effecient, you mount the compressor unit apart from the upper unit.
Strive For The Ideal, But Deal With What\'s Real.
Every day is a new day, better than the day before.(from some song)
Lord, Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.
“The sincere pursuit of truth requires you to entertain the possibility that everything you believe to be true may in fact be false”
|
|
|
El Jefe
Super Nomad
Posts: 1027
Registered: 10-27-2003
Location: South East Cape
Member Is Offline
|
|
Thanks guys, those are some good ideas to keep my keester cool in August. Now if they would just get that cheap solar sheet thing on the market, Ill
be all set.
No b-tchin\' in the Baja.
|
|
|
Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
Member Is Offline
Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
|
|
further research tells me that these new panels run at about half the efficiency as the others but will cost about one twentieth of the others that-is
about 5% of the cost. sounds to good to be true. that would mean that you would need to use twice the sq. footage of panels but your savings would be
about 90 percent.
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
|
|
|
MrBillM
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21656
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Out and About
Member Is Offline
Mood: It's a Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Day
|
|
Does anybody remember ...........
At least ten years ago, maybe more, Texas Instruments came out with a planned Solar Electric compound that would have done exactly what this appears
to do. It was extremely cheap, but less efficient per square foot than existing technology. One of the plans was to spray it on as a roof coating.
After a Huge article in the Los Angeles Times and a few later mentions, the whole thing just disappeared, at least to my knowledge, and I usually look
at two or more newspapers everyday when in the U.S.
Since I expect that the Commercial power will be at Percebu within the next two years, I'm not even installing the last (4) KC120s I bought until the
day comes that I actually need them. For others, though, it will make for a dramatic change in lifestyle.
I had always been interested in trying to run a window a/c off solar, but the investment was simply too high. Instead, I've relied on a Genset for
about five hours nightly during the worst heat and humidity.
|
|
|
El Jefe
Super Nomad
Posts: 1027
Registered: 10-27-2003
Location: South East Cape
Member Is Offline
|
|
Bruce, you are right, probably too good to be true. I've been watching the website of a fuel cell developer who claimed some years ago that they would
have propane powered fuel cells for residential use by now. The prediction was that the electric grid as we know it would be changed forever. No more
power lines would need to be run to new areas, yadda, yadda, yadda. It would have been really cool, but it looks now like the company is taking
another track. plugpower.com
I'll believe this solar development when I see it. I think often early r&d results are hyped up to get investors interested.
MrBill, I think you are probably right about using a genset for the AC. That was my original plan. So now the question is, what is the preferred
genset, propane or diesel?
[Edited on 4-15-2005 by El Jefe]
No b-tchin\' in the Baja.
|
|
|
MrBillM
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21656
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Out and About
Member Is Offline
Mood: It's a Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Day
|
|
Genset
The Genset I reserve exclusively for the A/C is a Northern 2700 built for Northern Tools. The genset has an OHC Honda 5.0 hp engine. I've seen the
same genset with different names on it at the Solar power shows. It is very dependable so far and very economical. The 5/8 gallon gas tank is good
for about 3 hours powering a 6K btu A/C.
I adapted a larger tank to go past the three hours, but I noticed at a Solar show in Pomona the year after I bought mine, the newer units had a larger
gas tank. The advantage to using the smaller genset is lower gasoline usage. When I would use my 5K
or 6.5K Honda, I used a lot more gas. A 2700 rated gen easily runs the A/C.
Propane or Diesel would be more economical in run time, but the premium (especially with Diesel) that you pay means it will be years before you break
even.
I've used the unit for three seasons now and it still sounds like new. The price including shipping was under $500, but I noticed the unit has gone
up to $499.95, although they do put it on sale at times. www.northerntool.com
One last thing. Northern sells the Honda engine for around $225 so, if the gen head outlasted the engine, said engine could be cheaply replaced.
[Edited on 4-16-2005 by MrBillM]
|
|
|
Bruce R Leech
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6796
Registered: 9-20-2004
Location: Ensenada formerly Mulege
Member Is Offline
Mood: A lot cooler than Mulege
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by MrBillM
The Genset I reserve exclusively for the A/C is a Northern 2700 built for Northern Tools. The genset has an OHC Honda 5.0 hp engine. I've seen the
same genset with different names on it at the Solar power shows. It is very dependable so far and very economical. The 5/8 gallon gas tank is good
for about 3 hours powering a 6K btu A/C.
I adapted a larger tank to go past the three hours, but I noticed at a Solar show in Pomona the year after I bought mine, the newer units had a larger
gas tank. The advantage to using the smaller genset is lower gasoline usage. When I would use my 5K
or 6.5K Honda, I used a lot more gas. A 2700 rated gen easily runs the A/C.
Propane or Diesel would be more economical in run time, but the premium (especially with Diesel) that you pay means it will be years before you break
even.
I've used the unit for three seasons now and it still sounds like new. The price including shipping was under $500, but I noticed the unit has gone
up to $499.95, although they do put it on sale at times. www.northerntool.com
One last thing. Northern sells the Honda engine for around $225 so, if the gen head outlasted the engine, said engine could be cheaply replaced.
[Edited on 4-16-2005 by MrBillM] |
that is the cheapest electricity you can make
Bruce R Leech
Ensenada
|
|
|
| Pages:
1
2 |
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
