A step of giant for solar energy
By Denis Delbecq • July 11th, 2008 in 11:48 · Category: Actuality
The solar cells, this walks since the sixties. But because of their weak output and of their cost price, to cross the threshold of competitiveness returns to climb up an impassable mountain. The American Nanosolar had opened a way in producer of cells hundred slimmer times. Researchers of the Massachusetts Institute of technology chose another approach by transforming any glass panel into concentrator …
It is not so common to see very technological jobs in honour in the magazine Science. But jobs of Mark Baldo and of his team were however published by the magazine, barely more than three months after the submission of the article. A rare celerity which confirms the interest of these researches.
The solar panel seen by Baldo and the team is for the basics a glass plate. On the most part, a coating "home “ picks up the solar radiation, re-issues it in a length of higher wave while trapping it and guiding it. 80 % solar energies attains then the perimetre of the window pane, where are put of the solar cells optimised for this radiance. Effectiveness is spectacular since in equal active surface, the photovoltaic cells produce one hundred and ten times more electricity than in panels common place (see comment below). Besides, by piling layers in different properties, it is possible to imagine to fabricate panels endowed with cells optimised for every type of luminous frequency and to double final output still. Today, the size of windows is still limited to a few hundred of square centimetres.
According to Baldo, the coating of windows is not expensive and supports easily irregularities of surface. The coating is an organic ink which settles by a technique of printing on a very ordinary glass. In that way, whatever windows can be conceived so as to let through 10 % light, and convert the rest into electricity. Of what to transform the facades of buildings into solar power stations!
And it is not everything, because technique imagined and tested in MIT can also improve the functioning of the traditional solar panels, by doubling their effectiveness, proved the researchers. They think that their technique could be commercialised in only three years. The technique to supermarkets remains to regulate. Baldo and his colleagues have already created start-up which will take responsibility for it. While the price of energy climbs sharp, the mountain of the competitiveness of solar energy could fast be crossed.
Picture: © National Science Foundation
Article read 9,485 times. Tags:climat, energy, photovoltaic, solar
Comments in 
Jacques
Denis Delbecq, does this shake you your conviction on compulsory reduction or, in another register, on the pertinence of desertrec?
it is especially going to help Africa, it is interessant when meme!
Thank you and good day.
And to manage the remission of renewable energy sources this poses problem only when there is neither ray of sunlight, or wind, nor marine current, which all vegetation disappeared, that all animal husbandry disappeared, that there is no more single exploitable waste product on earth, than rivers have arrété to run and does not throw itself any more into the ocean, than dams are empty, that there is only critical consumption which cannot be programmed in time That is that this poses problem only as soon as the Earth left the orbit of the sun and at this moment there I think that they will have can be problems a little more urgent and critical than to find a way to get to work its toaster …
But he begins nevertheless coming of plans, Algeria threw a power station gas-solar energy to Hassi R' Mel with for long-term purpose to pass pure solair there and to export electricity towards Europe.
http://www.riaed.net/spip.php?article1174
Thanks for your éclairéee answer and as definite as possible.
Dindorf Michel
dindorfm@gmail.com
The article of Guardian with a diagramme.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jul/10/solarpower.renewableenergy
on the contrary, they are still far from the production of mass, which n is not also aiser qu it is thought. this qu they make of better at present CIGS technology would be, is 19 %, who esperons will be produced serie there in 2009.
Therefore, nothing magical nor mysterious here, to bring an answer to those above who would doubt it. Idea dates 1970s at the latest.
But obviously an elegant application which lets esperer of panels with active surface (cest has say surface ' solar cell ') very small aside, for a surface of collection (size of the glass) much more important. The cost of the whole frees itself practically therefore from the price of cells, which of blow euvent to be cells of high cost in very high output, without handicapping the price of the system which, it, is dominated by the glass, the converter, etc.
On top of that, the output of any solar cell (token, most - except the bad with slim layers) increases logarythmiquement with concentration.
To conclude, two advantages:
A narrow luminous spectre adapted well to the photovoltaic => high output
Concentration without optics => high output
Therefore it is very good.
The only flat: Why is it necessary to wait three years for marketing?
It gives to understand problems neegligeables not of which it was not a matter in the article.
More details perhaps, Denis Delbeqc?
Then, on the manufacture of windows concentrator. It is about glass on which is deposited an organic coating in properties semidrivers. Several were tested, notably DCJTB (1) and rubrene. According to the researchers, these coatings are much less expensive than the equivalent surface of photovoltaic cells. They settle relatively easily (store in gaseous stage and soon in liquid stage) but their manufacture is rather high-tech. All this to answer Fabrice who wondered about the possibility of producing these panels in developing countries. The panels of Covalent Solar (start-up created by Baldo and its colleagues) will stay alas in the lap of advanced engineering. From this point of view, this progress will not change the dependency of the South in relation to the North.
According to the researchers always, the life of the coating of concentrators is estimated from ten to hundred years, according to the used molecule, and will be able to be improved by protecting these slim layers by a film against ultraviolet rays. It is part of necessary developments before a marketing. To finish with the questions of Fabrice, I confess not to have idea of problems put down by the recycling of these windows. The researchers do not recall him in Science.
(1) For the budding chemists, the official name of this molecule is 4-(Dicyanomethylene)-2-t-butyl-6 (1,1,7,7-tetramethyljulolidyl-9-enyl)-4H-pyran
If little is reflected, it is possible to have solar panels on which the energy the day (direct use) is going to be scooped out, and in parallel to make an assemblage as I made it at home (this implicates a bit fixing things and a small ventilated storage space), the day when solar panels produce electricity I have a loader 12V who comes to recharge 8 batteries of 12v connected in parallel (linked up by cables with battery), I put 8 battery to have a stronger capacity of stocking, but if the need is weak to one can put less (p.s.: the batteries that I recovered, come from breakage). Then it is enough to connect a converter on these batteries 12V / 220V (well to choose its power according to vôtre use) and to connect vôtre lighting (has led preferably), fridge, ETC And this works very well. It will be necessary to biensur to put a switch who will allow you to cross your home (or a part of this one) in network FRENCH ELECTRICITY COMPANY or on your batteries
Interesting idea, in fact known enough.
But the development of this type of large-scale stocking poses the problem of pollution by the lead. It is necessary to envisage and well to organise the recycling of the lead.
Beforehand thank you