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Solar goes Hyper in the U.S.
HyperSolar magnifying film can increase solar panel efficiency by up to 300%, making solar competitive with fossil fuels.
Wed, Feb 09 2011 at 3:08 PM
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Image courtesy of HyperSolar
As the U.S. government continues to heap billions in subsidies to the world's wealthiest coal and oil companies, the solar industry has been struggling to make it in the United States. This is sad for many reasons, not the least of which is that we're missing out on one of the biggest growth industries in the world.
Currently there are 16 gigawatts of installed solar power globally. That number will grow to about 1,800 gigawatts in the next 20 years, making it one of the best job creators. U.S. engineers invented the solar panel, and the U.S. should be dominating that market. Instead, foreign manufacturers (particularly in China) have taken our IP and run with it, as we become increasingly dependent on foreign oil and dirty coal operations to meet our power needs.
Fortunately HyperSolar, a new U.S. company, offers a ray of sunny hope on the clean energy frontier.
The company does not manufacture solar panels. It makes them ultra-efficient using a field of science called photonics. Similar to a microchip that moves individual bits of data around at hyperspeed, HyperSolar's thin magnifying film routes and separates specific light spectrums, delivering them exactly where they're needed to make an array of PV solar cells ultra-efficient.
I saw an early prototype for such a magnifying optical layer a few years back, but the company was "dark" at the time, so I couldn't write about the innovation. But I'm as excited now as I was then for good reason — HyperSolar's optical layer can increase PV efficiency by up to 300 percent!
Theoretically that means cutting the installation cost of a solar array in half. Instead of a home solar system costing $30,000 (or more) it would only cost $15,000 (or less), making the upfront investment much lower and payback periods much quicker.
This is a great example of a disruptive technology that could get us to the holy grail of "grid parity" — meaning that solar would be as affordable as other sources of energy like coal and natural gas. And no more polluting coal mines or fracking for natural gas! The sun (for at least the next 5 billion years) will provide free and abundant energy. It's up to us whether we want to invest in that technology or continue to destroy our beautiful landscapes for a few more years of "cheap" (i.e. heavily subsidized) coal.
Innovations like this make several recent reports ring true. If we have the political will to overcome the stranglehold of the fossil fuel industry on our nation's energy policy, we could become 100 percent renewably powered in a 2030-2050 time frame. Check out these two reports and a new study by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) about how large-scale wind power is now cost-competitive with natural gas:
- Physorg.com: 100 percent renewables by 2030
- WWF: 100 percent renewables (no nuclear) by 2050
- AWEA: Wind cost-competitive with gas
So, what do you think? Can we kick the fossil fuel habit?
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Before we get too excited about this solar break though, ask the tax payers in Massachusetts how they feel about the solar company they financed which then quickly pulled up stakes to move to China. Or the large solar factory that was built in Frederick MD and 6 months later moved to China! Unless there is a signed contract to stay in a community, tax payers dollars should not be used to finance these projects!
All projects and manufacturing are moving to China, many of them with some Tax Payer dollars. If we don't make it worth a companies while to build the projects here in the U.S., then of course they'll move. China has more government incentives for such projects. Forcing them to stay with a signed contract isn't the way to do it. You have to encourage them, not force them.
You have it wrong about the solar installation in Frederick MD. You are talking about Solarex, a gov't funded facility which provided power to a business campus for 30 years before BP bought it and shut it down, due to inefficiencies in the PV arrays. It couldn't compete economically so it was shut down. They manufactured solar cells there and the technology has changed. Those are the facts.
That could be the issue right there. BP involved. Of course it doesn't pay for them to switch to solar. It's a for profit business; I have a feeling they don't want to deal with the fact that anyone is able to get Sun shine.
Regardless of technology used, cost still need to come down so everyone can install these systems. I live in a ideal area for wind and solar, even the local government agencys try to make it easy for alternative energy installations, but it still too exsensive. Tax credits should come off the front end, not have to wait 2-3 years too.
Government money is free right? Subsidies are free $$!!
Anything that cannot be amortized in 6 to 8 years is too expensive for the average customer.
Right now, people can get 6-8 years payback in CA with the right company. I see 6.5 years a lot. And that's even with a low rebate which it is right now.
Let me get this right: A small percentage of the US people get defrayed costs because the rest of the people pay for it. And how does this help the rest of the people? Perhaps by getting China and India to pay for Nebraska?
PV manufacturers do not allow magnification or reflectors for their products. it voids the warranty. Now if hyper solar partners with the factory and they test it that is another story
I would guess they would partner with PV manufacturers to include it. If a product is going to increase the PV cells by 300%, why wouldn't they include it? They may not allow an after market modification, but you'll see solar panels from the manufacturers come out with it already installed.
I'm sure it works. I'm also sure that an oil company will buy the patent so they can bury it.
Stories like this always bring out the Schizophrenia crowd.
Great news... with the world dying from the use of petroleum-based products, it's about time that a revolutionary new product will help to spread the use of solar!
Thank you Hyper Solar!
Best, SeguetoSolar
How does this newly innovated magnifying film "Cut the installation cost of a solar array in half. Instead of a home solar system costing $30,000 (or more) it would only cost $15,000 (or less), making the upfront investment much lower and payback periods much quicker." I cannot believe that it is cheaper than glass which it replaces, when will this be for sale? I hear about things like this all the time but they never pan out.
If, as they report, the magnifying film increases light to the PV cells by 300%, then you only need 1/3 as many cells and these cells often are half the cost of a full PV system installation. Forget the cost of glass which is replaced- that peanuts. The cost of solar is all in the silicon (or other expensive medley or metals) PV cells and this new film claims to reduce the need.
I think that where you are saving is from the fact that you'll reduce the number of panels needed to fuel your home. what took 3 panels to fuel your home now requires 1 panel and so on.
I always try to be polite when commenting. But people like you always manage to make me very angry. Can't you think for a moment or do a little research before posting a comment. Did you think that it is glass that makes solar cells expensive? This technology is of the best and simplest I have heard in a while. Just think a bit.
Thats his point idiot.
When this comes to the market place as a viable and affordable product. Then I will believe it. Until then it's like so many other "wow" alternative energy sources, pie in the sky pipe dreams.
Unless you increase the size of the collector, you're still getting the same number of photons. I'm not sure you understand how PVs work...
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