Solar Energy: Emerging Technologies
By Staff -- EDN, September 18, 2008
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Photovoltaic cells are not the only way to harness the sun’s energy. Solar thermal energy uses focused sunlight to heat water which then powers an electricity-generating turbine. Companies such as eSolar and Ausra in California are developing installations. (For comparing relative costs of solar energy technologies, see table below: Solar energy costs.)
In addition, there’s a possible disruptive technology on the horizon: In June of this year, California start-up Nanosolar demonstrated it 1GW (in annual production) solar ink coating machine, which the company says costs $1.65M. The coater, which works in a normal factory environment, and coats metal film with a proprietary ink based on a Copper-Indium-Gallium-Diselenide (CIGS) compound. Nanosolar’s coating process is inherently cheaper and simpler than traditional silicon wafer deposition processes used in today’s photovoltaic cells. The efficiency of the Nanosolar technology is less: 14% compared to as high as 25% silicon wafer efficiency. But 14% is still very practical and its lower cost make it a technology to watch.
| Solar Energy Costs | |
|
Cost per kWhr ($) |
Electricity generated from |
| 0.05 | Coal |
| 0.10 | Natural Gas |
| 0.16 | Solar Thermal |
| 0.24 | Utility-scale Photovoltaic |
| 0.40 | Individual (rooftop) Photovoltaic |
