so you can stack them??? that'd be a huge space saver...
Posted on 07/22/2012 1:13:44 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
An improvement in the makeup of solar cells generates electricity while maintaining a 70% transparency, making it adaptable to homes and businesses to reduce energy costs. The polymer solar cell is light, flexible and cheap to produce. If this goes into mass production, it could spell the end of unsightly bulky roof mounted solar panels.
"These results open the potential for visibly transparent polymer solar cells as add-on components of portable electronics, smart windows and building-integrated photovoltaics and in other applications"
The could also possibly replace your cellphone screen with this and recharge your phone as you’re using it.
If I were building a house, I’d certainly consider a solar installation right from the start.
so you can stack them??? that'd be a huge space saver...
Are these cells UV resistant.The problem with PVs are they never reach
power out/power in due to UV degradation.
“Battery storage, capacity and life cycle.”
You can still hook up to the utility as a backup.
Not directly. Solar cells produce DC voltage. You need an inverter and to provide a stable consistent current to the inverter it must be stored in addition to a charge controller so the batteries are not overcharged causing them to go bad. Batteries are always needed if you hope to provide any kind of power during darkness and less than optimal sun direction.
Yes I understand you need a converter to hook up with the grid, but I don’t think you need batteries unless you want to go strictly solar.
When they do a solar installation in a home with on the grid there are no batteries involved.
“When they do a solar installation in a home with on the grid there are no batteries involved.”
Right, and you can sell power back to the utilities at high daytime rates if you’re out of the house and set the AC high enough...
These might make a nice option for south-facing windows, to boost solar output a bit from square footage that otherwise would produce nothing. It’s also possible they could get efficiency over 4% down the road.
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