Korean researchers develop uber-cheap solar cells

We'll go ahead and hand it to Spectrolab for crafting such an immensely efficient solar cell without regard to cost, but a team of Korean researchers have reportedly conjured up a rendition of their own that, you know, would actually be feasible to commercialize in the not too distant future. The team -- led by Lee Kwang-hee of the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology -- has reportedly created a diminutive plastic solar cell that touts "6.5-percent efficiency," and while that number pales in comparison to other alternatives, it's the pricetag that's of interest here. Apparently, existing solar cells that use silicon semiconductors cost around "$2.30 to generate one watt of electricity," whereas this group's solution costs just ten cents per watt. Better yet, plans are already in motion to increase efficiency up to 15-percent, after which we could see these things hitting the marketplace at large "by 2012."

[FordGTGuy @ Jul 14th 2007 2:35PM]

You know how many hours of Starcraft you could play off of these?

[chadow @ Jul 14th 2007 2:39PM]

Now if only that group building the giant solar array in the California desert could get with these guys.

[Alexander @ Jul 14th 2007 3:18PM]

Isn't anybody else concerned that the date in the picture says 2004?

[chadow @ Jul 14th 2007 3:36PM]

Not really. I mean that clock thing looks like its from 1992 anyway, and that doesn't concern me. :)

[Neebs @ Jul 14th 2007 3:43PM]

It's a clock they sell in magazines for businesses, then they put logos on them. I have a similar one on my desk.
It truly is a POS, but it has 12 MIDI alarms!!!11

[Wwhat @ Jul 14th 2007 8:50PM]

Also the pinchers that are suppose to make electrical contact appear to be next to the cell's contact, seems they invented wireless electricity too!

[mc @ Jul 15th 2007 2:05PM]

I suspect that the clock reverted back to its original default date when the battery was removed to let it be powered by the solar cell.

[Truth Hurts @ Jul 15th 2007 3:56PM]

"clock reverted back to its original default date when the battery was removed to let it be powered by the solar cell" - yep, that sounds about right.

[MaxP @ Jul 14th 2007 3:36PM]

uber cool

[uberuser @ Jul 15th 2007 8:00AM]

uber! just wanted to over-use that word too.

[Tom @ Jul 14th 2007 3:37PM]

The real question is will it run Doom?

[AJ @ Jul 14th 2007 3:42PM]

Good one Tom. Very original.

[Logik @ Jul 14th 2007 5:44PM]

Indeed! I am utterly dumbfounded by your originality, Tom.

[Trevor @ Jul 14th 2007 3:41PM]

run a 60 watt bulb for $6
or
run 6 10 watt fluorescent bulbs at a 60 watt equivalent for $6

Sounds good to me.

[predator.z5 @ Jul 14th 2007 3:53PM]

60 watt normal bulb isn't equal to 6*10 watt fluorescent bulbs... you're supposed to measure the light output!!!

[SimbaDogg @ Jul 14th 2007 4:14PM]

@ predator.z5
you really didn't read that right...he said run six 10 watt florescent bulbs (which give you the light output of a 60 watt regular bulb) because flor. bulbs are A LOT MORE EFFICIENT.

[uagent @ Jul 14th 2007 6:23PM]

@SimbaDogg

Actually, predator would be right. 6 10W florescent bulbs would put off a LOT more light (measured in lumens or candles) than one 60W incandescent. That's why on the florescent package they tell you the true usage vs. equivalent output. For example, I use 15W florescent bulbs that each have the equivalent output of 1 60W incandescent (regular) bulb. However, it only draws 1/4 the electricity, making my electric bill cheaper. If you ran 6 10W florescents, holy crap, you'd be getting requests for landing clearance ;)

[Jeebus @ Jul 14th 2007 11:27PM]

$6 for ONE bulb, for the lifetime of the panel though. Still, it shows why solar cells are not taking over the world. Too expensive at $0.10/watt, and ridiculously expensive at $2.30/watt.

[Doug H @ Jul 14th 2007 5:39PM]

What a non-story, non-event, waste of time (sorry to be negative). "hitting the marketplace at large "by 2012.".....says it all

[atomicthumbs @ Jul 14th 2007 11:37PM]

Because we all know that the Mayans say the end of the world will be then.

Then what use will we have for solar panels?

[kyle allen @ Jul 15th 2007 1:27AM]

your guna die in 2012, not that you care... yet

[HyperHacker @ Jul 14th 2007 6:54PM]

How long until the oil companies buy these guys out?

[Christian G @ Jul 14th 2007 10:52PM]

Eeeeeep!

[ug @ Jul 15th 2007 3:01AM]

Annoyingly stereotypical response.

[digi-life @ Jul 15th 2007 12:50AM]

If there's one thing that Japan lags behind S. Korea, it is new battery technologies such like as diminutive 'plastic' solar cell and hybrid batteries; Japan was stuck at creating the 'plastic' solar cell that touts only '4-percent efficiency', according to the Japanese source.

[kyle allen @ Jul 15th 2007 1:27AM]

maby sollten Sie gerade Maul halten!

[kyle allen @ Jul 15th 2007 1:30AM]

sweet Lizzie McGuire! thems is cheap solar cells! (p.s. that was supposed to be an exclamatory term)

[Truth Hurts @ Jul 15th 2007 3:41AM]

The keyword in this article is "plastic". The high efficiency solar panels used now is mostly made of silicon. Now take the word "plastic" and think silkscreening this tech on anything you can imagine.

[HopkinsChemist @ Jul 15th 2007 9:39AM]

You're right, that is the most significant part, since the price per watt is cost competitive with wind and nuclear.

I would worry about stability of these cells. Historically, organic solar cells have had functional lives of less than 6 months, which means they must have had some serious breakthrough in efficiency and thermal stability.

[Truth Hurts @ Jul 15th 2007 3:54PM]

"clock reverted back to its original default date when the battery was removed to let it be powered by the solar cell" - yep, that sounds about right.

[Richard D Weber @ Aug 26th 2007 9:30PM]

Won't it be too late by 2012? I mean, discovery channel said that's when the world is gonna end according to the mayans, and a buncha other psychics. And if the discovery channels says so, I believe it. That channel is all about hard science. Besides John Hutchison can make batteries from dirt, and crushed up rocks, which I also saw on the discovery, so this is a moot point.