Rapid Rise of Solar Tech

[Space Racer]

Tesla is Already Making Grid Batteries at the Gigafactory

http://fortune.com/2015/11/03/tesla-...=yahoo_fortune

[Poodle Head Mikey]

You should visit - Fortune is wrong: it's not at all quiet. <g>

PHM
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Tesla is Already Making Grid Batteries at the Gigafactory

http://fortune.com/2015/11/03/tesla-...=yahoo_fortune

[Space Racer]

This ties in with the rectenna in post #96.

‘Moth Eye’ Graphene Breakthrough Could Create Indoor Solar Cells
http://www.newsweek.com/indoor-solar...h-430827?rx=us

The research article:
Ultra-broadband light trapping using nanotextured decoupled graphene multilayers
http://advances.sciencemag.org/conte.../e1501238.full

[Space Racer]

Watch out, Tesla! New batteries from hi-tech energy agency coming fast
http://venturebeat.com/2016/03/02/wa...y-coming-fast/

[Space Racer]

Ray Kurzweil says solar energy will (could) be our primary source of energy by 2025.

Solar use doubles every two years. In 2008, Kurzweil said we were 8 doublings, or 16 years, away from solar power "meeting 100% of our energy needs."

Go to 41:05.
Ray Kurzweil on the Singularity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXVrTCjetLg

He's not saying it will be the only source. He's saying that we will have that much solar energy at our disposal.

[jmac00]

Ray Kurzweil says solar energy will (could) be our primary source of energy by 2025.

Solar use doubles every two years. In 2008, Kurzweil said we were 8 doublings, or 16 years, away from solar power "meeting 100% of our energy needs."

Go to 41:05.
Ray Kurzweil on the Singularity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXVrTCjetLg

He's not saying it will be the only source. He's saying that we will have that much solar energy at our disposal.

I'll tell you what, if I could afford to switch to solar in an "off grid" application I would in a hart beat. My cabin is off grid, but it's only weekend use, so it's not that big a deal.

[Space Racer]

Silicon photovoltaics are only operating at about 14% efficiency. More recent (expensive) materials go up to around 21%. But in a few years this stuff will all go out the window -- as soon as the new tech settles down and finds its market.

Photovoltaics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photovoltaics

Best Research-Cell Efficiencies
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ficiencies.png

It'll be like the flat-screen TV market was over the last 15 years.

Before you know it, telephone poles will be obsolete.

[Space Racer]

Ivanpah Solar Plant Catches Fire, But Taxpayers Get Burned

http://www.investors.com/politics/co...rs-get-burned/

[red-beard]

New guy here, but since you're on the topic of Solar...

Solar is definitely coming up. But it has limitations. Most of the grid-tied systems will not provide power during a utility outage. Off-grid systems are very expensive. Net-metering (selling to and buying from the grid at direct offset pricing) is going away. And very high amounts of grid-tied solar lead to electrical system instability (see the problems in Hawaii).

Solar panels have become VERY cheap. The rest of the system is fairly standard electrical systems and will not be coming down in price. I don't think they will be getting much cheaper, unless someone has a break through in batteries.

We make a hybrid solar energy system, tying solar, energy storage, energy management and a backup generator. Because of the batteries and the generator, we are more expensive than a standard grid-tied system, by 20%, not counting the generator. The system saves 30% more money than most grid-tied system without net-metering. For Off-Grid, it is less than half the cost and 1/3 the weight of a solar only system. And it will save about 90% operating costs vs. a generator.

I would love to trade solar knowledge for HVAC!

[jmac00]

New guy here, but since you're on the topic of Solar...

Solar is definitely coming up. But it has limitations. Most of the grid-tied systems will not provide power during a utility outage. Off-grid systems are very expensive. Net-metering (selling to and buying from the grid at direct offset pricing) is going away. And very high amounts of grid-tied solar lead to electrical system instability (see the problems in Hawaii).

Solar panels have become VERY cheap. The rest of the system is fairly standard electrical systems and will not be coming down in price. I don't think they will be getting much cheaper, unless someone has a break through in batteries.

We make a hybrid solar energy system, tying solar, energy storage, energy management and a backup generator. Because of the batteries and the generator, we are more expensive than a standard grid-tied system, by 20%, not counting the generator. The system saves 30% more money than most grid-tied system without net-metering. For Off-Grid, it is less than half the cost and 1/3 the weight of a solar only system. And it will save about 90% operating costs vs. a generator.

I would love to trade solar knowledge for HVAC!

what kind of batteries are you guy using. Elon Musk is 'suppose' to be coming out with some 'whizz-bang solar battery' but I haven't heard anything about them for over a year now.

[red-beard]

what kind of batteries are you guy using. Elon Musk is 'suppose' to be coming out with some 'whizz-bang solar battery' but I haven't heard anything about them for over a year now.

We use an advanced form of lead-acid. Even when you take into account the usable depth of discharge and the cycle life, they are the most cost effective batteries around.

The advanced lead acid batteries have changes to both the alloy of the lead plates, the design of the plates and the working fluid has additions. A typical lead-acid battery has a cycle life of around 900-1000 cycles at 50% depth of discharge. Well designed lead-acid will be 1800 cycles at 50% DOD. The latest A-AGM batteries have a cycle life of 3000 cycles at 50% DOD.

[jmac00]

We use an advanced form of lead-acid. Even when you take into account the usable depth of discharge and the cycle life, they are the most cost effective batteries around.

The advanced lead acid batteries have changes to both the alloy of the lead plates, the design of the plates and the working fluid has additions. A typical lead-acid battery has a cycle life of around 900-1000 cycles at 50% depth of discharge. Well designed lead-acid will be 1800 cycles at 50% DOD. The latest A-AGM batteries have a cycle life of 3000 cycles at 50% DOD.

ya, I know about batteries, who makes yours? Trojan? Interstate? AES?

[red-beard]

C-D

[Poodle Head Mikey]

What do you think of Rolls Battery?

PHM
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C-D

[red-beard]

I prefer AGM, but Rolls make a good battery. They have, I believe, moved their line over to the new longer life fluids. Cycle life at 50% DOD is similar ~3000 cycles, in the 2V batteries. Pricing is similar, for similar capacity.

[Refrigerationuk]

Yeah it is very expensive system to install. Although they are very much successful but it is pretty heavy for every person to get on of these solar panels.

[Space Racer]

This battery breakthrough could change the world
http://gearburn.com/2016/05/battery-...fornia-irvine/

"breakthrough" Chemists create battery technology with off the charts charging capacity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaA8Kkw648I

Making better batteries a reality
http://www.universityofcalifornia.ed...housands-times

[Space Racer]

Will We Soon Be Riding on Solar Roads?
http://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/13...n-solar-roads/

[Space Racer]

First of its kind transparent solar panel [Jul 12, 2016]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKngjA_itCs

Transparent solar panels are the photovoltaics of the future
http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-te...ore-effective/

Invisible Solar Cells That Could Power Skyscrapers [Mar 23, 2015]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZ__PjmC6Fg

[Space Racer]

These are Tesla’s stunning new solar roof tiles for homes

https://techcrunch.com/2016/10/28/th...share=facebook

Solar roof shingles have been out for a little while, but until now they were expensive to install and not very efficient.