Micron-sized solar cells beat wafer-sized cells

EETimes ^ | 12/23/09 | R. Colin Johnson

[cripplecreek]

The special lab produced solar cells are struggling to get to 40% effiency.

I'm talking about something I saw on the discovery channel a while back. They managed to achieve 80% efficiency but were having to manually align the crystals under a microscope. We're talking about several thousand dollars per square inch.

[PapaBear3625]

I’ve been reading about these innovations for 30 years. When does the application arrive that is cost effective without the government subsidy?

They're already here, depending on the application.

Solar powered calculators have been around for decades. Solar powered emergency phones along the highways have been around for a number of years. Using solar power to charge batteries for evening lights for driveway paths have been around for a few years and they're getting better.

With each new increment in efficiency and decrement in price, solar becomes cost effective in more and more applications. Solar powered homes in the North will be the last.

[Balding_Eagle]

When do we see this technology make sense economically?

It is far easier, and quicker, than you can imagine.

The first step is to regulate your use of the wood stoves, essentially making it a crime for you to heat your home with the ordinary. Then, punish coal companies and stop the construction of coal fired power plants.

There, project complete, it now makes sense to use this technology if you want to live in a warm home.

[MSF BU]

There is a degree of truth to what you say. Fortunately I have decent neighbors (as of now) who could care less that I can burn. My 10+ acres of hardwood may turn out to be an asset after all.

[PeaceBeWithYou]

There is also full spectrum solar cells which produce in the 70% range using Indium Gallium Nitride. Production cost should be near that of current InGaN.

If the process described in this article could be applied to the InGaN full spectrum cells, cost would be small, efficiency would be high, and mass production would be a breeze.

[dangerdoc]

I’d like to see that show, usual suspects (wiki etc.) are still showing the record holder in the low 40’s.