Cheap and green electricity from solar cells — perhaps, possibly, maybe
By Gareth Powell
Revolutionary solar panels are taking the concept of cheap green electricity one step further. An Australian printing firm will soon begin trials of the ultra-cheap panels made from plastic cells and printed like banknotes.
Mass production of the solar cells will be considerably cheaper than rooftop panels.
As a result they might, possibly, maybe, could trim running electricity costs by 95 percent — to 50 cents per watt compared with $10 per watt for traditional solar cells.
Note that is running costs. Manufacture and installation costs need to be worked out before everyone starts cheering.
The film-like cells are just the start of a revolution in plastic electronics at CSIRO’s Future Manufacturing Flagship group.
The Herald Sun said that within a decade the FMF’s work could see Australians using iPods, digital cameras and mobile phones with solar cell plastic casing, which would mean the end of replaceable batteries. Perhaps. Because all of this has been promised before and never quite worked out. With the CSIRO behind it perhaps this time it will come to fruition.
The ideas are science fiction gone mad. One scenario has flexible A4-sized roll-out or fold-out screens that will allow people to watch TV or read a newspaper on their mobile phone.
Dr Gerry Wilson, team leader of electroactive materials at the CSIRO, said, ‘We’re working with 30 exotic materials, but we’d expect to see the solar cells on the market within five years.’
In truth, solar calls have been on the market for much, much longer than that. Indeed, there are many houses already solely run by solar cells.
The problem is the initial cost.
In this case the $12 million three-year project has been 50 percent financed by the State Government.
Australia has a leading position in polymer technology, which has given the world state-of-the-art banknotes. As, indeed it has. Australian bank notes are polymer. But they do not create any solar power.
What is needed is a costing which says it costs ‘x’ to make a panel this size which will generate ‘y’ amount of power. Then we can make a proper assessment.
In fact the CSIRO is very quiet about this. On its site, CSIRO only says ‘CSIRO is using this capability to lead polymer science and develop the molecular building blocks that will form the basis of a plastic electronics revolution expected to transform our lives.’
Put this down as very much future hopeful than present actual.
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March 5th, 2009
One of the selling points is that solar PV is that it’s better of the environment, less carbon. Where is the proof?
These panels aren’t cheap, therefore they must have used a lot of processes and material processing , all of which requires ENERGY.
Has anyone studied this?
In other words, if a panel was “plugged in ” as soon as it came out of the factory door and started “replacing” conventional electricity, how many months or years would it take to to replace the electricity/ENERGY needed to make it in the first place? The cost is out rageous, I calculated that a system (in USA) that reduces maybe 30% of my consumption it would take 38 years
to recapture the original cost. What about ongoing and mainteanace costs? Ever seen a car battery, any battery, last more than 5 years? AC.