Comments on: MIT Researchers Print a Solar Cell on Paper

By: Nicholas Nagao

Nicholas Nagao — Mon, 24 May 2010 20:09:43 +0000

I think the breakthrough is in the process NOT the final product. The idea of cheap printing of solar panels has HUGE potential in my opinion. If everyone could print solar panels easily, I would imagine the rate of adoption and innovation would be MUCH higher than currently. Don’t get lost in the details, look at the big idea, which is NOT the paper, but rather THE WAY they PRINTED the paper.

Please come by http://www.respectedopinions.com to hear about our community’s thoughts on this and more. The URL for the discussion I started about this is here:

http://www.respectedopinions.com/forum/topics/printable-solar-panels-from-a

By: Sivakumar M.U.P.

Sivakumar M.U.P. — Fri, 21 May 2010 08:42:51 +0000

Good effort keep it up. Hope Solar paints (photo voltoic paints- coating on all base material) be feasible for a commoner packet.

Best of luck.

By: Edgar

Edgar — Thu, 20 May 2010 03:33:45 +0000

Efficiency is not the most important thing, cost per watt is. While a paper solar panel may not be very practical, the technology used they may provide ways to make cheaper solar panels.

By: Confused

Confused — Thu, 20 May 2010 01:00:37 +0000

http://www.konarka.com/ these guys have been working on bring this to market for at least 4 years now, don’t see how this is a breakthrough, seems like they just copied an idea which was already out there and being invested in.

By: styke

styke — Wed, 19 May 2010 19:38:19 +0000

Paper sounds like a good idea and may reduce costs significantly. I wonder what applications a low cost, low efficiency, paper solar cell might have. It won’t be on rooftops, because paper wouldn’t stand up to that kind of environment. Basically, I doubt it would be used outside. It won’t be on calculators, because they need a more durable cell.

Maybe something new.

By: Fred Flintstone

Fred Flintstone — Wed, 19 May 2010 18:00:45 +0000

Yeah! I agree with AllEnergySolar! Innovation is so overrated. Why the hell do we have places like MIT experimenting and creating new technologies? Why are we wasting time and money on such research when we could be forcing people to implement current solar technologies that most (BY FAR) people cannot afford anyway? MIT is trying to create something more affordable? I don’t get it.

By: AllEnergySolar

AllEnergySolar — Wed, 19 May 2010 13:40:58 +0000

Not impressed. This may be the first time they have printed on paper, but the concept has been in use for much longer. I don’t see the need to print it on paper when it only has an efficiency of 1-2%. Why are they wasting money and time figuring out how to do that when they could be using that money for more important things, like actually implementing solar energy on homes and businesses.