Breakthrough in Solar Technology

[Morris]

With the new stress on clean energy, new technologies are rising out of the laboratories.
Conventional solar panel systems are not particularly efficient and can be more than a little bit of a monstrosity. Since the solar panel systems only convert a small percentage of the daylight that hits them into electricity, there actually isn

[Mike90250]

Call me when they actually start shipping something with a 20 year warrenty. Yawn. There have been so many "breakthroughs" in the last 15 years of solar PV, and only a couple made abortive attempts to actual market. And then they died. I donbt this is any better, cant make a hologram in glass (very easily) and the plastic lens won't last in the sun & heat

[Morris]

Fair enough Mike. Gotta admit though its better seeing these innovative breakthroughs end up failing rather than not showing up at all...

[Mike90250]

Fair enough Mike. Gotta admit though its better seeing these innovative breakthroughs end up failing rather than not showing up at all...

I'm both immune and mad at them, they would know with a bit of research, what's failed before, and mad at them for bilking investors out of $$.

[Morris]

I hear that, lets just hope then that serious strides are made in the next few years as far as efficiencies are concerned... Once a certain energy conversion % is reached the demand for solar panels will explode and eventually costs will decrease as production levels are forced to increase to keep up with the Demand... Waiting for that day

[Sunking]

Ever hear of NanoSolar? Pure vaporware.

[Morris]

Yea just looked into em. When are the panels gonna be available on the market?

[russ]

The efficiency number that everyone looks for doesn't have all that much meaning - most people have roof space available. Whether it is 10%, 20%, 30% or 50% efficiency, a watt is a watt.

What counts:
1) The dollar per watt cost
2) Inverter and other requirements cost
3) Annual charges if any (Emphase)
4) Installation costs including engineering
5) Red tape hassle

People troll the MIT and other similar web sites looking for reports and print it as news with whatever they can extract from a press release. Normally it isn't news and won't be for years if ever.

The green sites are really bad for this type of reporting - almost done by someone that has zero understanding except that they are getting paid per view.

[Sunking]

Yea just looked into em. When are the panels gonna be available on the market?

Well according to NanoSolar they have been on the Market for 2 years. all being sold overseas to a electric utility company. Problem is the utility company does not exist like their panels. Only 3 panels from NanoSolar are known to exist. One in a museum, one in Google's show case in their lobby, and a mystery one that went up for sale on Ebay that was taken off the sale list for fraud. Poof, Vaporware.

[Morris]

Sounds pretty shady to me then Sunking haha.
Russ- Good point $/watt is the most important factor. I find that a lot of people I speak to want panels to cover 100% of their bill. Simply put, not many people's roofs are big enough to carry enough panels that will give them the 100% coverage they are looking for.

[russ]

Hi Morris - What you are saying is that they don't know what they need or want. Important points according to many:

1. Conservation is ALWAYS cheaper
2. Use gas for items like cooking or water heating if a better deal and available
3. Solar water heating
4) Forget any kind of electric heating - not cost effective with solar
5) Forget most motors such as pool pumps - the starting current requires various components to be oversized.

To cover 100% of winter usage will be impractical for most due to the cost - you would require 2 to 3 times more panels - not in anyone's benefit except the seller. Then in the summer more inverters etc would be required!

You need to work on a sales pitch to convince people of what actually benefits them as compared to what the barber told them - there is generally a very big difference.

[BajaGringo]

Simply put, not many people's roofs are big enough to carry enough panels that will give them the 100% coverage they are looking for.

Sounds to me then that most people must have very small roofs or very wasteful energy needs IMHO...

[Morris]

Thanks Russ, truthfully, not many people know much about solar, they just want it to be the cure-all for their energy needs. I'm still learning the industry but that is the vibe I get from a lot of people.

[russ]

@ Morris - Really very few people seem to know more about solar than you pay a lot of money, put something on the roof and instant power. Most the knowledge people have seems to have come from someone with a big mouth that really knows even less than they do. Like from buddies at the barbershop or bar -

To sell solar, your knowledge and ability to come up with solutions to the potential clients situation are critical. Also knowledge of general energy conservation - seems like a good thing to have in your kit, the ability to sell energy conservation as well as solar. Most people are as dumb on energy conservation as they are on solar.

It is not in your or your clients interest to sell too large a system to cover wasted energy. If the client figures out they got screwed it would be your fault (in the clients mind) and there goes your reference plus word of mouth advertising.

[Morris]

I totally agree with you Russ, thanks for the tips!