Comments on: Self-Assembling Solar Cells

By: suneel

suneel — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 03:23:41 +0000

I am from India. Panels are exorbitantly expensive here. Do you have any suggestions
reduce this

Regards
suneel

By: Brett

Brett — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 22:29:39 +0000

Sounds interesting. The possibilities for covering non-flat surfaces would be greatly expanded with this technology, as long as the wiring can be addressed. Not only do standard solar cells require multiple steps to create, but they need to be wired in to a circuit that can carry the electrons away, and replace them. It comes down to the efficiency of the cells’ output relative to the sun energy hitting them, as well as the cost of manufacturing that will determine whether this is more than just an interesting idea. I would like to learn more.

By: Richard Fletcher

Richard Fletcher — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:58:59 +0000

Angel has very good point. I see lots of stop signs here in San Diego that are apparently solar power. Having this solar device could be very effective at potentially eliminating the essentially current solar panel currently stuck on a separate pole.

By: sheckyvegas

sheckyvegas — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:38:19 +0000

So our houses will smell like salad dressing?

By: Francisco A Roque

Francisco A Roque — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:13:22 +0000

They will look better as soon as they are placed on roofs to do their job and start saving barrels of oil.

By: Angel

Angel — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:13:54 +0000

The paper or flat surface battery idea above would be great. Street light poles and traffic signs could be made out of them or laminated with the solar cells sheet, this way it wouldn’t be necessary to have a separate solar collector arm or pole. Those are becoming very popular in cities and municipalities. But the solar boxes could be prone to vandalism and add another visual element to the streetscape that is not necessarily aesthetically pleasing.

By: Cool...

Cool... — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 10:32:52 +0000

If they can use a paper battery or similar very flat battery type as a substrate and then make the whole thing water-tight by lamination then it could possibly be extremely cheap to create very large, cheap and flexible solar cells that also store some of the energy they gather. Wouldn’t that be cool?

A tent could be made that also acts as a solar collector. Umbrellas, sails, canopies, etc… All would be very cool.