ANSWERS: 1
  • 1) " NEW POLYMER PHOTOCELL COSTS TWO PERCENT OF CONVENTIONAL CELLS Danish researchers report that they have developed a polymer photovoltaic panel expected to cost just US$15 per square meter, as opposed to $800 per square meter for conventional silicon panels -- a savings of about 98 percent. Though the new polymer has a useful lifespan of about two and a half years, very good for plastic pv, its efficiency is much lower than silicon photovoltaic cells, with a conversion factor of 0.2 to 5 percent, compared to silicon at 12 to 15 percent. However, because the new polymer cells are so cheap, manufacturers might install them in otherwise uneconomical spaces, such as beach umbrellas and patio decks, or for low-power applications like cell phone chargers. Read more: www.worldchanging.com/archives/003154.html " Source and further information: http://www.ieee.org/portal/pages/products/whats-new/wnpower/wnpower0805.html#6 2) "Costs: Cost is established in cost-per-watt and in cost-per-watt in 24 hours for infrared capable photovoltaic cells. Slicing costs: University of Utah engineers devised a new way to slice thin wafers of the chemical element germanium for use in the most efficient type of solar power cells. The new method should lower the cost of such cells by reducing the waste and breakage of the brittle semiconductor. Low Cost Solar Cell: Dye-sensitized solar cell is considered the low-cost solar cell. This cell is extremely promising because it is made of low-cost materials and does not need elaborate apparatus to manufacture, so it can be made in a DIY way allowing more players to produce it than any other type of solar cell. In bulk it should be significantly less expensive than older solid-state cell designs. It can be engineered into flexible sheets. Although its conversion efficiency is less than the best thin film cells, its price/performance ratio should be high enough to allow them to compete with fossil fuel electrical generation." Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cell#Costs

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