new cheap alloy solar panel

[bbbuddy]

Well, my first post on this has disappeared, don't know why, so here it is again...

this is interesting!

"Nothing else comes close to the effectiveness of a new generation of solar panels now going into production in South Africa. A team of scientists led by University of Johannesburg scientist Professor Vivian Alberts achieved the breakthrough after 10 years of research.

The new, cheap alloy solar panel uses normal window glass and is so much more efficient than the costly old silicone solar panels that it does not require direct sunlight to produce significant output."

http://breakfornews.com/my/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=491

[Jeff7]

Silicon != Silicone!!!!

Rant aside, it looks like interesting technology assuming this is genuine. There are no numbers there on exactly how efficient it is though, or what the product is called.....and I see now that someone posted that comment there already. Guess I'm not the only one wondering about that.

[Jeff7]

Found another link:

http://www.eskom.co.za/live/content.php?Item_ID=702

Looked up "copper indium gallium selenium sulphide" on Google.

Sorry about the two postings - no edit function here.

[Slingshot]

Your original thread probably got moved.  Apparently the moderator looks through the topics on a daily basis and reassigns the category based on some perception of where it appears to "fit better".  Possibly by just looking at the title, and not reading the content.  

I don't think I've had one thread stay put for more than a day.

[wdyasq]

'This means a 60-W panel would cost around R490, or R8 a watt, compared to imported panels entering local soil at R35 to R40 a watt, he notes.'

At South African rand = 0.165265 U.S. dollar, that figures a rough $1.32/W - I sure hope this works out and is not one more 'pie on the sky' deal. If so I would invest a few thousand and go off-grid real soon.

Ron

[georgeodjungle]

ya. ya. ya.

it's still not all that.

thay say it has a life span of 40 years.

but realy 20 usefull years.

compaired to allmost 1% loss on the "old type" of pv.

pending on how hard you work-em.

great investment though !!!

most folks look at the price to buy.

not cost over its life span.

so far...

if ife solar gets the o.k.

watch there stocks will jump to.

this first hit the news about mid 2004.

wind still rules.

[Clifford]

Don't forget we live in a "disposible society"....

One thing goes bad, throw it out and get a new one....

Let's see...

If one is looking at $2 / watt for 20 yr panels.

vs $4 / watt for 40+ yr panels.

I'd go for the cheaper ones....   Hoping that in 20 years the replacements will be better, more powerful, and CHEAPER.

And...  of course saving half of the cost of the panels and putting the money into other investments would be better than just sinking them into panels that are depreciating.... cutting down on the upfront cost makes a lot of sense....

Now, of course, that doesn't translate into WORTHLESS Chinese Tools  

[ChrisNam]

The Johanna Solar panels were supposed to become commercially available in Sept 2007, but I can find no news on them. Does anyone know if it is available yet?

[ghurd]

They seem to still be building the factory.

There is a contract giving `aleo solar' 80% of the production for 5 years, who intends to market them in southern Europe.  aloe's site lists nothing about thin film.

http://solarcellsinfo.com/blog/archives/741

http://www.aleo-solar.de/sun-in-all-sizes.html

Don't hold your breath for the next `amazing breakthrough $1/W' panels either.  There are a lot of news releases from a lot of companies, but none are on the market.

G-