http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Aug 15th 2008 8:15AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Aug 15th 2008 8:20AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/
I'm not much for barley.]]>Aug 15th 2008 9:17AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Aug 15th 2008 11:22AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Aug 15th 2008 12:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Aug 15th 2008 8:18AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/
It's also possible that aside from the MIT advances, they may not have made it to the production of these panels because they weren't production ready in time or weren't incorporated into the manufacturing process of these panels]]>Aug 15th 2008 8:37AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Aug 15th 2008 12:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/
"really efficiency is not that important when you are talking about solar. sunlight is free and (almost) infinite, so unless you have a strict surface area restriction, weight, durability and W/$ are much more relevant numbers."

I'd argue that efficiency is the most important. Increased efficiency could potentially directly impact everything else you mentioned. Increased efficiency would also be highly important in areas that get fewer hours of direct sunshine. ]]>Aug 15th 2008 4:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Aug 15th 2008 8:23AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Which makes it perplexing that Senator Obama wants to give it more responsibility.]]>Aug 15th 2008 11:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Aug 15th 2008 11:36AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/
yes the military does more than it's fair share of destruction, but don't you think that's expected considering they're a freaking ARMY?! that's why we give them weapons. it's in their job description. but they also do their fair shair of building. it's not a one way street like the liberal media and the sheep that follow them would have you believe.

so stfu and gtfo]]>Aug 15th 2008 11:50AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/
I'm not taking sides, but saying stupid things like that completely invalidates your point.]]>Aug 15th 2008 2:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/
Hurrrrr...]]>Aug 15th 2008 5:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Aug 15th 2008 8:25AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Aug 15th 2008 8:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Aug 15th 2008 8:47AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/
One day we might figure out how to get energy out of photosynthesising plants.]]>Aug 15th 2008 9:07AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/
Good luck with that.]]>Aug 16th 2008 3:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Aug 15th 2008 8:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Aug 15th 2008 8:34AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Aug 15th 2008 11:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Aug 15th 2008 11:32AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Aug 15th 2008 11:38AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/
isn't this EXACTLY what we want? lots of clean energy (solar creates SO much more energy in a FAR smaller space) and hydrogen for fuel cells? stupid environmental hippies are shooting themselves in the foot by stopping nuclear.]]>Aug 15th 2008 11:40AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/
Our sun will burn for several billion more years. Solar is looking better and better.]]>Aug 15th 2008 12:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/
But no, they've moved beyond that. Now we're at BANANA (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything)]]>Aug 15th 2008 3:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/
But back in 2000, maximum solar panel efficiency was running at about 34%. So, that's a 20% increase over the past eight years. Addmitedly, it's not Moore Law, but this is real progress.

Source:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a4/PVeff%28rev110707%29d.png


]]>Aug 15th 2008 8:35AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/
The they have now reached 40.8% which is not even close to a 20% gain. Its a 6.8% gain.]]>Aug 15th 2008 1:00PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/
40.8/34= 1.2 or a 20% gain

c'mon dude, you're better than that]]>Aug 15th 2008 1:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/
(40.8-34)/34 = .2 , also known as "20%"

You use the 34 as your base, since that's what's being improved upon.

Thus, solar cells are 20% more efficient than they were, but only 6.8% more efficient overall.

Remember, an improvement from 1 to 2 is an improvement of 100%, even though it's only an improvement of 1]]>Aug 15th 2008 1:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/If you add that to 34%, you get 40%.

The efficiency has increased BY 20% of the earlier value. But it has not increased 20% on an absolute scale.

^v^ math]]>Aug 15th 2008 1:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/
Currently, 40% efficient solar cells are too expensive for anything but space applications.]]>Aug 15th 2008 8:35AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Aug 15th 2008 8:58AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Aug 15th 2008 9:02AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/
umsolar.com]]>Aug 15th 2008 9:31AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Aug 15th 2008 10:21AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Aug 15th 2008 11:31AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/18/nanosolar-begins-shipping-world-s-lowest-cost-solar-panel/

solar at less than 1$ / watt (coal price)]]>Aug 15th 2008 11:35AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Aug 15th 2008 12:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Aug 15th 2008 9:02AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Aug 15th 2008 9:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Aug 15th 2008 10:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Aug 15th 2008 9:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/
A decrease in efficiency will be rappidly made up for by an incerase in their abundance and thus cause more power generation anyways.]]>Aug 15th 2008 9:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Most people are still stuck in the 60s when reactors were wasteful and inefficient. Sadly this also leaves reactors stuck there to since noone thinks to upgrade them.]]>Aug 15th 2008 9:07AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/
For the best investment, the indicator should always be "Installed Cost/kwh."

being in the solar industry, the one issue I have with all these efficiency improvement announcements is the lack of a clear "this is not commercialized yet" line. Clients are *always* asking "but I was reading the other day that solar panels are now like 50% efficient?!?" Then they get turned off. But I think it is sort of like the computer industry. I mean, when I was out shopping for my IBM XT (286), I didn't think "hey, I should hold off for a 486" cause then I would have just waited for the 486 but then I'd be wondering if I should wait again for the Pentium chip. With that arguement, you never get a computer.

]]>Aug 15th 2008 9:19AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/

.......Dear LORD I'm so bored!]]>Aug 17th 2008 1:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/15/new-solar-cell-efficiency-record-barely-achieved-at-40-8/Aug 15th 2008 9:24AM