Superthin solar panels

[begreen]

Claiming 24% efficiency at a much lower cost than current panels, even those from China. They are made with 4 micron wafers using 100 times less silicon than conventional panels. It will be interesting to see if this takes off.
http://inhabitat.com/raytons-new-super-efficient-affordable-solar-panels-could-trump-fossil-fuels/

Will they make it or be trumped by other tech? For example:
(broken link removed)

It would be interesting to see these technologies combine.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Now it needs to go into shingles. A new roof could pay for itself and then give an income stream while keeping the rain off the house.

 

[Grisu]

Now it needs to go into shingles. A new roof could pay for itself and then give an income stream while keeping the rain off the house.

I certainly concur with the idea. Why putting an expensive roof first and then solar panels on top when you can have both in one? I was then surprised to learn that soar shingles already exist: http://www.dowpowerhouse.com/ They have not really caught on which suggests there are some problems.

 

[begreen]

Just speculating but maybe that most roof layers are not electricians? or that a lot of connections which = more failure points?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I know there have been problems, but I don't know what they are. Connections seem like a logical possibility. I doubt they would be any less durable than regular panels which seem to do fine on roofs.

 

[begreen]

Might be a big pita to have a series connected solar shingle go out. Hard to trace and replace.

(broken link removed to http://pureenergies.com/us/how-solar-works/solar-shingles/)

 

[woodgeek]

I certainly concur with the idea. Why putting an expensive roof first and then solar panels on top when you can have both in one? I was then surprised to learn that soar shingles already exist: http://www.dowpowerhouse.com/ They have not really caught on which suggests there are some problems.

I know the guy at Dow that worked on those....the shingle and interconnect tech was flawless and brilliant. The problem was the flexible, cad telluride (?) solar cells they put in them (that Dow made themselves). The price collapse in Si has crushed the other semiconductors (fine with me, Si is earth abundant, non-toxic and now cheap).

AFAIK, cheap solar cells are not flexible, that is the problem.

 

[peakbagger]

To date the solar roofing options haven't worked out. I worked with someone who was involved with one of the first solar shingle roofing projects in CA. After baking in an attic for several hours hooking up numerous connections he swore off installing these systems.

Unfortunately the Ovionics fiasco knocked back roof integrated solar back significantly

I have seen some high end architecture trying to integrate solar panels in place of roofing. It looks nice but leaking was a major issue. I am surprised it hasn't been done successfully but I expect the resilient gaskets between the panels just aren't up reliably sealing.

 

[Grisu]

Thanks everyone. Nice to read all your experience with those systems. I hope they figure out a working system soon; it just makes too much sense. At least more than "solar roadways".

 

[begreen]

AFAIK, cheap solar cells are not flexible, that is the problem.

At 4 microns thick Rayton's cells appear to be quite flexible and they should be much cheaper than current cells.
Have anyone seen the Solé Power Tile installed?

 

[peakbagger]

If they could integrate with galvalume standing seam roofing it would be slam dunk.except for high roof temps due to lack of cooling air running up between the roof and the panels using conventional racking. The ovionics were sold for that application but the adhesive didn't hold up and even if it did the panels had a high failure rate.

I had a chance to work with Konarka for a bit at the tail end of their life, their panels were printed on flexible backing. I think they were CIGS chemistry so the efficiency was poor. Still seeing a big roll of solar panels was pretty interesting.

The trade off for ultrathin is UV is hard on many materials and the thinner it gets the worse the UV damage is. Nanosolar apparently had issues with that problem, the panels lost efficiency when exposed to the sun for long periods, not so good for solar panel.