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View Full Version : New Sooper Cheap Solar Cell Technology!!!!



Hardrock69
05-24-2005, 02:10 AM
This company has figured out how to manufacture solar cells through the process of PRINTING!!!!!

Here is a brief paragraph about the company:

About Nanosolar

Nanosolar, Inc., is focused on making solar electricity ubiquitous through new solar-cell products with unprecedented total-system cost efficiency. The company’s proprietary high-throughput thin-film process technology makes it possible to create easy-to-deploy solar electricity panels that deliver as much energy output and lifetime as conventional silicon solar panels yet at vastly lower cost. Nanosolar, headquartered in Palo Alto, California, owns more than 42 patents and is backed by leading private investors.

Here is their website.

www.nanosolar.com

Here is their FAQ page which has all the facts about the Solar Panels they are going to be producing soon:

http://www.nanosolar.com/aboutsolar.htm

Here is a really good read on the current state of Solar Technology from Forbes magazine:

http://www.nanosolar.com/cache/Forbes.htm

And here is a blurb from the NY TImes:


A new generation of solar cells based on lightweight conductive plastics could cost as little as $40 a square meter, compared with $400 for the silicon panels that have been used since the 1970's. These so-called organic solar cells could make solar a viable option even without government subsidies, experts say.

Unlike silicon, plastic cells do not require high temperatures or equipment similar to that used to manufacture computer chips. They are also more flexible and therefore may be easier to use in a range of places, including rooftops, window blinds, cars, or even clothing.

Plastic cells have their drawbacks, however. They are less efficient than silicon, at least for now, and are not expected to hit the market until 2005.

NanoSolar asserts that it has solved some of the thorniest problems inherent in working with organic materials. The company, applying technology licensed from Sandia National Labs, says it has brought an architectural approach to the process, using self-assembling nano-structures that should substantially improve the energy efficiency of its solar cells.

BenJammin
05-24-2005, 02:47 AM
Hi HardRock,

It appears you share my interest in green energy (I dig it immensely).

Too bad NanoSolar is a privately held company, I would love to get stock at the early stages in something like this.

... also you might be interested in this post I made a while back

http://www.rotharmy.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=510348#post510348

FORD
05-24-2005, 09:41 AM
Originally posted by Hardrock69


Plastic cells have their drawbacks, however. They are less efficient than silicon, at least for now, and are not expected to hit the market until 2005.



How old is this article, and is the company on schedule to deliver the solar cells this year?

Hardrock69
05-24-2005, 10:00 AM
You can sign up at their website to receive info when it happens. I believe I saw someplace they are looking at late this year, early next year.


However, here is a news item dated May 5th that I got from their site that says they are moving into the production phase:

Nanosolar Expands Executive Team
Company Adds VP Engineering, EVP Operations, Director; Moves into Commercial Production

PALO ALTO, California - May 4th, 2005 - Nanosolar, Inc., the technology leader in delivering the world's most cost-efficient solar electricity, today announced that it has made several key executive appointments in connection with successfully completing its initial research and development (R&D) phase and moving into commercial production:

* Chris Eberspacher has been appointed Vice President of Engineering. Dr. Eberspacher was Head of all R&D of the world's largest photovoltaics company, ARCO Solar / Siemens Solar Industries (today Shell Solar) where he led a team in the development of the vacuum-deposited thin-film solar-cell technology that is now one of the leading thin-film technologies in commercial production.

“Chris could have joined any solar company; the fact that he chose Nanosolar is great validation of the company’s team and technology,” said Bill Gurley of Benchmark Capital.

Chris Eberspacher joins a technology team that includes Director of Process Engineering Craig Leidholm and Vice President of Manufacturing Technology Jim Sheats. Mr. Leidholm has more than 15 years of thin-film semiconductor process engineering experience and is known for fabricating the world’s most efficient printed solar cells. Dr. Sheats has industry experience spanning 20 years at Hewlett-Packard and Chief Technology Officer positions at Rolltronics and Novus Communications, and is recognized as a leading expert on roll-to-roll manufacturing technology.

* Werner Dumanski has been appointed Executive Vice President of Operations. Werner Dumanski joins Nanosolar from Hitachi/IBM where he was the top manufacturing executive for the company’s $4.5 billion storage components business, leading a worldwide organization of 12,000 people and managing a multi-$100 million budget for a business that is one of the three largest volume producers of thin-film disks and recording heads in the world.

“Werner is recognized a ‘manufacturing superstar’ for his contribution to making thin-film storage heads and disks wide-spread and affordable at an unprecedented scale”, said Nanosolar CEO Roscheisen, adding: “Now we are going to do the same for thin-film solar panels.”

* Siva Sivaram has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Nanosolar. Siva Sivaram brings world-class experience in running a high-volume semiconductor manufacturing business to Nanosolar’s board. As General Manager of the Intel’s billion-dollar IC Procurement and Enabling Division, Dr. Sivaram was renowned as the world's largest consumer of semiconductor foundry wafers. He is presently the Chief Operating Officer of Matrix Semiconductor.

“Siva’s advice has already been invaluable to us; we are now extremely pleased to be able to count on his guidance as a Director”, said Roscheisen.

Nanosolar has successfully developed a leapfrog aggregate of proprietary design and process technology innovations for solar panels that can match conventional silicon modules in both energy output and long-term durability yet decimate their fully-loaded manufacturing product cost. A key aspect to this is the unprecedented throughput that Nanosolar’s process technology achieves: With more than an order of magnitude faster intrinsic process throughput over the best in conventional silicon or vacuum technology, Nanosolar can produce solar panels in a highly cost and capital efficient way.

“Our printing technology allows us to produce panels very inexpensively and scale to defining production volume very fast,” said Roscheisen, adding: “Our expanded team is now working to bring these achievements to as many customers as fast as possible.”



I would surely like to be able to live off the grid. I mean, if you can get a solar panel for 40 bucks a square foot, that is amazingly cheap!!!

My only problem where I live is that my house is surrounded by 100-foot trees, so not much sunlight gets through.

Oh well. Someday.
:cool: