Thin Film Solar Cells: Another Leap Forward
One of the arguments used by opponents of solar power is that solar energy technology is far too costly to be an effective alternative to the petrofuels that make such awesome profits for Exxon-Mobil, BP and Koch Industries, even though these resources exact a heavy cost on the rest of us and the planet.
Until recently, this was unfortunately a valid argument. In strictly monetary terms electricity generated from solar technology cost up to five times more than that produced from toxic coal and oil. However, some dramatic technological leaps are closing that gap quickly.
One of these is thin film solar technology.
A Short History
People are surprised to learn that the science behind photovoltaic film has been around for over 170 years – since 1839, in fact. However, it took more than forty years before an actual photovoltaic cell was built, and this early effort had an efficiency rating of only 1%. Modern solar cells were first manufactured in the 1950s, but they were cumbersome, costly and highly inefficient; in essence, it cost more to create a solar cell than the value of energy that could be produced.
Traditionally, solar cells have consisted of layers of materials and alloys of silicon with other materials such as copper and phosphorus. The latter functions as a semiconductor, a material that allows electrons to move in a single direction. Part of the problem with this production method has been the expense, particularly of the specific form of silicon that is most frequently used as a semiconductor, as well as the costs of creating the proper alloys. The other problem is that until recently solar cells have been able to use only a small part of the light spectrum to produce energy. Think of the colors of the rainbow; most solar cells until now could only use the bright orange and yellow part of this spectrum.
Photovoltaic thin film is changing all of this.
You've Seen Them Before
Photovoltaic film has been used for a long time to power small electronic devices, namely calculators, which have been around since the early 1970s. The process used to manufacture these thin film solar cells consists of depositing several thin layers of a semiconductor material onto another surface, such as glass or even plastic. Because the semiconductors used are extremely efficient, a very thin layer is all that is needed.
The most exciting development is that alternatives to silicon are becoming available, which will bring down the cost of thin film solar technology substantially. This in turn will eventually result in the Holy Grail of alternative energies (as well as BP's worst nightmare) – grid parity, or the point at which solar-generated electricity is no more expensive than that produced by fossil fuels.
Questions and Answers
solar Panel,also called Solar Module or PV photovoltaics panel. is a collection of solar cells. For the solar cell type have 5″ monocrystalline Silicon 5 inch 125 Series and 6″ Polycrystalline Silicon 6 inch 156 Series.Lots of small solar cells spread over a large area can work together to provide enough power to be useful. The more light that hits a cell, the more electricity it produces, so spacecraft are usually designed with solar panels that can always be pointed at the Sun even as the rest
This is by far the world's most ambitious solar power station project will be completed last ten years
The oil powerhouse Chevron will begin testing seven emerging photovoltaic technologies to add to their energy portfolio.
It is an exciting time in the solar industry right now, with various breakthroughs and important discoveries made lately to further the quest for better and better solar cells. Scientist from around the world, including top notch Australian researchers, have developed ingenious ways of making solar energy more viable and cost effective.
A photovoltaic module or photovoltaic panel is a packaged interconnected assembly of photovoltaic cells, also known as solar cells.
Solar panels are the devices which are utilized to convert solar energy into usable forms. Solar panels attract the Solar energy into solar devices so that the energy can be utilized for useful purposes.
In USA, one of the leading brands that offer diverse and high quality products promoting proper hygiene is Difresh USA. If you are looking for the best opportunity to grow and have the opportunity for a new business Difresh USA can help you for they are looking for Exclusive Local Distributors
Getting clean and refresh doesn't sacrifice the place where you are for it should be a habit. Having a healthy body will allow you to do things right and good. And no matter where you are you should practice a healthy and proper hygiene even in little things you do.
Maintaining a healthy and proper hygiene badly needs products that are truly effective and could truly answer our need for this. No matter where we are and at anytime we want to get clean we basically need these products right away and only Difresh USA can supply these in a very easy way
The key reason why some firms thrive while some implode during an financial recession is still a puzzle to many people business-owning business owners. Some wrongly assume that all businesses should suffer via recessionary cycles. But the truth is that some companies are usually essentially recession-proof, and it is not necessarily because they are much larger, better known, or a lot more generously capitalized.
Companies like Arch Coal (ACI) and Massey Energy (MEE) watched his or her stock climbed.
A self-directed IRA that holds real estate, also referred to as a "real estate IRA," is becoming an increasingly popular way individuals are choosing to diversify their retirement portfolios.
In a 401(k) plan, your account balance will determine the amount of retirement income you will receive.
Many 401(k) providers use terms such as "open architecture 401(k)" and "fee disclosure" in their marketing efforts, but what do those terms really mean?
A self-directed IRA allows you to invest in a broad range of investments and gives you ultimate control over all your investment decisions.
Many courses offer less expensive tee times during the middle of the day, for example, or golf tee times later in the evening, which can also be called twilight golfing.
Discuss this Article
