Innovation of the Year Winner Nanosolar Ships Its First Low-Cost Solar Panels

After years of development, Nanosolar has announced today that they have shipped their first batch of inexpensive solar panels to the site of their first real-world deployment, a megawatt solar plant being built on the surface of a landfill in eastern Germany.

Nanosolar's innovative process for "printing" thin, inexpensive solar panels has attracted several high-profile investors, including Google's co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. By simplifying the manufacturing process and eliminating pricey silicon, many see the new process as the breakthrough needed to drive cheap solar power into the mainstream (many including we here at PopSci—the Powersheet received our "Innovation of the Year" award in this year's Best of What's New).

The first production panels to roll off the assembly line are getting special attention—one's being exhibited at Nanosolar HQ, another is heading for the Tech Museum in San Jose, and a third has been put up for auction on eBay. The current going rate for a piece of green tech history is $1,095—get your bids in now!

For much more information on the Powersheet, including an animated movie detailing exactly how it works, see its entry in our Best of What's New 2007 list. —John Mahoney

(Image Credit: Brian Klutch)

Comments

[Dudester]

Cool

[Sam]

What's the cost per kilowatt hour compared with other sources excluding any tax subsidies?

[Orion]

They're claiming a wholesale cost of $1/watt and a retail price of $2/watt produced. Coal, in comparison, is about $2.10/watt. While the price of the panels comes way down with their process the cost of the rectifier unit isn't affected so this becomes the major cost.

Also, they've been noticiably reticent about publishing spec sheets for their product. Originally they claimed 12%-15% efficiency but they're not talking right now. Commerically available silicon-based solar cells are rated at 18% - 20% efficient. They do give a 25 year warranty which is pretty good in this industry.

[ASW]

How can you compare coal and these panels? The panels you buy once and produce for 25 yrs (apparently)

I guess I don't get where you are coming from.

Also the inverters have continuously dropped in price over the years. They can only drop further as more are produced.

Even if the retail is at 2.00 a watt, that still cuts about 1/2 the cost of a typical install.

[Kevin]

"How can you compare coal and these panels? The panels you buy once and produce for 25 yrs (apparently"

ASW, it's not the cost of the FUEL -- you have to take into account the cost of the whole SYSTEM. The initial capital outlay of plant and equipment is depreciated over time per the rules of accounting.

In other words, a solar-power plant is so fantastically more expensive up-front than a coal-burning plant, that even though sunlight is free and coal isn't, solar is more expensive when you allocate all those costs. Hence the challenge of solar equipment is to get cheaper and/or more productive (Of course CO2 carries externality costs, but that's beside the point when you get your monthly bill).

[Merlin8047]

Rectifier? Solar cells ARE dc devices. You mean inverter. But maybe Edison will win out after all - and we'll all have DC appliances in our homes, running from lithium batteries charged by solar cells. And we won't be living on a grid anymore. With the advent of modern "brushless motor" systems that run just fine from a DC source, the advantages of Tesla's AC system will be history.

[Mark]

DC has it's own drawbacks, larger wire gages and with copper going up for it's own reason, it'll soon be as expensive as silver which is a better conductor anyway.

It'd be cheaper to go with an inverter close to the source and convert back to DC at the unit, plus any extra can put fed into the net and generate income to offset the cost.

Everything, power wise, has to have a comparison source, and coal is a good one because of the number of coal fired power plants in the US. Shows you in real dollars today what the difference is so that payback times can be figured out.

[JoeP]

DC systems typically have larger wire gages because they typically have lower voltages. So for the same amount of power or work it requires higher amperage which requires heavier gage wire. You can lower the amperage but still keep the same power by increasing the DC voltage.
All systems have conversion losses, sometimes as much as 40%. It is not always cheaper to invert it and convert it back, especially if the source is close (100 ft) to the load. Kevin has some good ideas. If there are no long transmission distances you can avoid the conversion and transmission losses and just keep it DC and use it locally. The grid is still useful as a backup, bank and sharing system.

[Kaiser]

Quote: "Solar cells ARE dc devices. You mean inverter. But maybe Edison will win out after all - and we'll all have DC appliances in our homes, running from lithium batteries charged by solar cells. And we won't be living on a grid anymore. With the advent of modern "brushless motor" systems that run just fine from a DC source, the advantages of Tesla's AC system will be history."

Electronics and a lot of gadgets are already DC internally. We waste a lot of efficiency in converting up and down and up and down just to get from the source to the end device.

[Pietro]

Does anybody know if these panels are already available in the market or is to early to buy them?

[Powerwise]

Any word on where to get these panels yet?

[Theo @ DIYHomeSolarPanels.org]

I built my own solar panels which saved me thousands of dollars and it was no way near has hard as you may think. It is deffinatley an option for people who do not want to pay the hefty price tags which most solar panel manufacturers charge.

[Wholesale Solar]

Great invention ! Solar panels can be a great help to sailors, keeping vital lights and appliances functioning, even when batteries run low or a generator malfunctions. They are also a much quieter way of recharging batteries!

Thanks
Wholesale Solar
http://www.wholesalepages.co.uk/

[Generic Viagra]

Excellent innovation, our sun is a source of great energy, if we properly use it, we can no longer use fossil oil.

[ugg store]

Humor has been well defined as thinking in fun while feeling in earnest.

[Wholesale Suppliers]

The 1.1 MW Frankenfelder Berg Landfill plant, located in Luckenwalde, Germany, was commissioned and connected to the EEG in June 2010. Beck Energy designed, engineered and installed thousands of Nanosolar Utility Panels for REST (Regional Disposal Service & Transport), the landfill and power plant owner and operator.

[Solar panel quotes]

DC systems typically have more wire gauges because they generally have less tension. Thus, for the same amount of energy or work that requires a higher intensity, which requires heavier wire gage. You can reduce the intensity, while keeping the same effect by increasing the DC voltage.

[solar panels]

We should all be thankful for the renewable sources we have today. With that there is still hope for a better and cleaner environment in the future. That is why we should all do our best to promote this systems.

[Harald Boenigk]

Dear Sirs,

We are selling a brand new German made SOLAR PANEL MANUFACTURING PLANT For sale, which was install in 2008 with two production lines & worked only 9 months,then stop it because of family & Bank issues,here are spec of the plant

Production Capicity: 36 MW by 36 cells (156 mm) per Module (140 W)
Line 1: ML 1050 mm x 1050mm
Line 2: ML 1069 mm x 990mm
Cell Sizes: ZL 156 mm x 156 mm
Cells Out put: 3,5 W
speed: 180 Sec./Line
All M/C are from Germany like Reis Robotics, Buxtrup, Kragarm, Prolass, Kleber, Flascher & Hipot, Somont Gmbh, Meier Icolam, BBG GmbH, Hnnek, Robotherm,

plant is ready to visit & can be viewed till 20 th May 2011 & must be disassemble till 4th week of July.
any further question just ask or email.

our contact details are B & E INERTNATIONAL GmbH Tel. +49-176-96894814 or cell +49-176-96894814

Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Best Regards

H. Boenigk

B & E International GmbH
Wickratherstr.110
41236 Moenchengladbach / Germany

Tel: ++49(0) 2166 920350
Tel: ++49(0) 2166 920351
Fax: ++49(0) 2166 920352
Steuerno 12758330604
VAT : DE204545866

[Optimizare site seo]

This is a great innovation. In the future I hope that we all will use solar power and reduce the pollution.

[Solar PV Panels]

it great innovation.

[solar power]

Great Technology. Thanks for share.

[supra vaider shoes]

I follow you VIA GFC and I love your blog!

[Brazilian Wax]

congrats

[Moncler Giacca]

So cute! I already like you on FB and also get your posts on Google Reader. :)