Lars
11-23-2009, 03:13 PM
November 21, 2009
http://www.futurepundit.com/archives/006731.html
Solexant To Sell Solar Cells At $1 Per Watt
Using nanocrystal-based inks printed onto metal foil photovoltaics start-up Solexant claims it can get its costs under those of low cost leader First Solar.
Making the entire cell using a roll-to-roll process gives the company an advantage over other thin-film photovoltaic companies that print on glass, which is heavier and limited to smaller areas, says Solexant CEO Damoder Reddy. "The cost benefit is dramatic, allowing us to produce cells for 50 cents a watt," he says. First Solar, a thin-film company that uses vacuum deposition to print its cells onto glass, has manufacturing costs of 85 cents per watt. Nanosolar, another company making nanocrystal solar cells, uses a different semiconductor that requires chemical reactions to take place during printing, which increases the complexity and expense of the process. "We print a preformed semiconductor," which eliminates such steps, says Reddy.
Nanosolar is the solar cell maker to beat on costs. I am optimistic about continued big price declines for solar cells because a number of venture capital start-ups like Nanosolar, Solyndra, and Solexant are making credible claims for PV fabrication approaches that enable lower cost manufacturing.
I worry about the approach of Peak Oil (and the possibility that world oil production has already peaked). Because of Peak Oil we need to shift more energy usage to electricity. But our biggest problem isn't how to generate more electricity. We can build nukes and wind turbines. Even solar power is going to become competitive in some areas. Our biggest problem is how to make electricity more usable for transportation. We can electrify the rails to move freight without using oil and lay more rails. But we need better cheaper batteries. It is still not clear to me that batteries will improve fast enough to make the transition away from oil for personal transportation easy enough.
By Randall Parker at 2009 November 21 09:40 AM
http://www.futurepundit.com/archives/006731.html
Solexant To Sell Solar Cells At $1 Per Watt
Using nanocrystal-based inks printed onto metal foil photovoltaics start-up Solexant claims it can get its costs under those of low cost leader First Solar.
Making the entire cell using a roll-to-roll process gives the company an advantage over other thin-film photovoltaic companies that print on glass, which is heavier and limited to smaller areas, says Solexant CEO Damoder Reddy. "The cost benefit is dramatic, allowing us to produce cells for 50 cents a watt," he says. First Solar, a thin-film company that uses vacuum deposition to print its cells onto glass, has manufacturing costs of 85 cents per watt. Nanosolar, another company making nanocrystal solar cells, uses a different semiconductor that requires chemical reactions to take place during printing, which increases the complexity and expense of the process. "We print a preformed semiconductor," which eliminates such steps, says Reddy.
Nanosolar is the solar cell maker to beat on costs. I am optimistic about continued big price declines for solar cells because a number of venture capital start-ups like Nanosolar, Solyndra, and Solexant are making credible claims for PV fabrication approaches that enable lower cost manufacturing.
I worry about the approach of Peak Oil (and the possibility that world oil production has already peaked). Because of Peak Oil we need to shift more energy usage to electricity. But our biggest problem isn't how to generate more electricity. We can build nukes and wind turbines. Even solar power is going to become competitive in some areas. Our biggest problem is how to make electricity more usable for transportation. We can electrify the rails to move freight without using oil and lay more rails. But we need better cheaper batteries. It is still not clear to me that batteries will improve fast enough to make the transition away from oil for personal transportation easy enough.
By Randall Parker at 2009 November 21 09:40 AM