Measuring solar efficiency

s h i t m o t h e r f u c k

bra

Will Kyocera Technology prevent it from being overtaken by Suntech of China? Will the PV technology be accessible to people like us, for home? Thanks Sunny

Armando: The dirt on solar panels is in the noise when it comes to reducing output. I have cleaned my own array and under identical conditions the output difference is not noticable. This after accumulation of two years worth of crude, repeated twice to date. Well documented are the rebuttals concerning how much energy it takes to create the PV panel versus what it puts out over its lifetime. I believe you factor of 1000 is a ''shot from your hips''.

Solar power will sell when the entire battery/controll box is about the same size, weight and efficiency as a common washing machine that does not excedd $5,000.00 including the solar arrays.

Jeff comment looks quite solid, but the $ per watt will also depend from the energy amount needed to produce the cells. Unless a solar panel can supply over its lifetime at least 1000 times the energy needed to produce it from the scrap materials, the price will be too high. Another point might need to be considered: how badly wpould the diret from polluted air reduce a cell efficiency of=ver time, and how much energy would be needed to keep the panel surface clean enough? With the American population concentrating more and more in urban areaS, THE AIR POLLUTION IS GETTING EVER WORSE: HOW LONG DOES IT NEED TO MAKE A WHITE CAR NEED A WASH?

But the real thing solar needs to take off is measurements of value and utility such as $ per watt and watts per square foot. Since most people (not the power industry or corporate consumers) have to deal with limited square footage and the aesthetics of how solar 'looks', these are the measures that will enable solar to take off, NOT efficiency.