Randall Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 I hear it's a way of producing ultra thin solar cells by printing(a little like inkjet printing). VIDEO Leveraging recent science advances in nanostructured materials, Nanosolar has developed a proprietary ink that makes it possible to simply print the semiconductor of a high-performance solar cell. This ink is based on Nanosolar developing various proprietary forms of nanoparticles and associated organic dispersion chemistry and processing techniques suitable for delivering a semiconductor of high electronic quality. A key advantage of the ink is specific to an idiosyncracy of the CIGS semiconductor: Because it consists of four elements which have to be in just the right atomic ratios to each other, the ink serves a useful purpose by effectively "locking in" a uniform distribution ("by design"). The homogeneous mix of nanoparticles in the ink in just the right overall amounts ensures that the atomic ratios of the four elements are correct wherever the ink is printed, even across large areas of deposition. This contrasts to vacuum deposition processes where, due to the four-element nature of CIGS, one effectively has to "atomically" synchronize various materials sources -- a challenge with no successful precedent in any industry on a repeatable high-yield production-scale basis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avernus Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 I dig this sort of thing....we need to start utilizing this sort of technology ASAP... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Irish Doggy Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 I have no doubt solar power is the future. Eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avernus Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 I have no doubt solar power is the future. Eventually. definitely...I want a career with LEED or one of these Green building companies, but I definitely not qualified enough...considering this is the future... I'm going to have to dig deeper to find out what the qualifications are for pursuing a career in this field... this company is making serious strides in Solar Power development by manufacturing this stuff at such a lower cost....but it's still too expensive for even middle class Americans to afford.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtomicCEO Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 I have no doubt solar power is the future. Eventually. Here is a serious question I have asked myself. Lets look at a future 100 years from now where solar IS the #1 source of energy. Does the fact that we are redirecting so much solar energy into electricity instead of letting it get absorbed naturally by the environment around us lead to global cooling? Makes you think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avernus Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 Here is a serious question I have asked myself. Lets look at a future 100 years from now where solar IS the #1 source of energy. Does the fact that we are redirecting so much solar energy into electricity instead of letting it get absorbed naturally by the environment around us lead to global cooling? Makes you think. I don't think we'll entirely rely on solar power for energy....there are several sources that I think we should utilize in different circumstances... you have wind turbines which can power small towns...but I've wondered what kind of results we could yield by solar paneling the propellors on the wind turbine....not to mention the fact that we can use water to power all sorts of things, especially if we decide to go the route of building "sky cities"... of course at this rate, I think Dubia will be the 1st city to feature this since they are all over the place with cutting edge technology... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtomicCEO Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 I don't think we'll entirely rely on solar power for energy....there are several sources that I think we should utilize in different circumstances... you have wind turbines which can power small towns...but I've wondered what kind of results we could yield by solar paneling the propellors on the wind turbine....not to mention the fact that we can use water to power all sorts of things, especially if we decide to go the route of building "sky cities"... of course at this rate, I think Dubia will be the 1st city to feature this since they are all over the place with cutting edge technology... What if an abundance of wind turbines alters wind and weather patterns? Won't damming up all the rivers cause the extinction of river-dwelling plants and fish? We're doomed, I swear to God. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avernus Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 What if an abundance of wind turbines alters wind and weather patterns?Won't damming up all the rivers cause the extinction of river-dwelling plants and fish? We're doomed, I swear to God. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Irish Doggy Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Here is a serious question I have asked myself. Lets look at a future 100 years from now where solar IS the #1 source of energy. Does the fact that we are redirecting so much solar energy into electricity instead of letting it get absorbed naturally by the environment around us lead to global cooling? Makes you think. I think there is a difference between capturing the energy in a photon vs. capturing heat energy. But there is a upside if you are right. Freezers will be dirt cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall Posted March 31, 2008 Author Share Posted March 31, 2008 (edited) What if an abundance of wind turbines alters wind and weather patterns?Won't damming up all the rivers cause the extinction of river-dwelling plants and fish? We're doomed, I swear to God. If you're serious that is a real concern right now. They are making turbines now that move slower and pivot rather than turn the normal way. I believe the Bible says eventually we will have the same power as the sun. Isn't that fusion? This technology, if it can be printed can it be turned into a paint applied to bodies of cars? US wind resource map. Edited March 31, 2008 by Randall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtomicCEO Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Can I put wind turbines on my car so that the faster I drive, the more energy I produce, and the faster I can drive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avernus Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Can I put wind turbines on my car so that the faster I drive, the more energy I produce, and the faster I can drive? I wouldn't rule it out... they can put them in the rear of the car.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H8tank Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Current solar panels are about 18% efficient... nowhere near good enough to be taken seriously... some current R&D is hoping to double that about in the coming decades... if we could get over 50%, your roof covered in those panels would not only power your entire home, but you could sell back to the grid 4x's that amount back you weren't using. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avernus Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Current solar panels are about 18% efficient... nowhere near good enough to be taken seriously... some current R&D is hoping to double that about in the coming decades... if we could get over 50%, your roof covered in those panels would not only power your entire home, but you could sell back to the grid 4x's that amount back you weren't using. yuup...even 25% would peak my interest... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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