Start-up: Affordable solar power possible in a year - USA Today

[JohnWxy]

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/environment/2008-04-28-solar-power-sunrgi_N.htm


A Silicon Valley start-up says it has developed technology that can deliver solar power in about a year at prices competitive with coal-fired electricity, a milestone that would leapfrog other more established players and turbocharge the fast-growing industry.
SUNRGI's "concentrated photovoltaic" system relies on lenses to magnify sunlight 2,000 times, letting it produce as much electricity as standard panels with a far smaller system. Craig Goodman, head of the National Energy Marketers Association, is expected to announce the breakthrough Tuesday.

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Sarah Kurtz, principal scientist for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, says SUNRGI's plans seem scientifically viable, but the start-up could face hurdles as it scales up to mass production.

"Moving from the lab to the market in two years is typically not what happens," says Stow Walker of Cambridge Energy Research Associates. Yet, he adds, the semiconductor market "moves much more quickly than power technologies."

[underpants]

1. Put' em on top of malls. This really should be no surprise to anyone

there simply has to be a better way than coal or nuclear

[mike_c]

2. don't PVs saturate at high light intensity...?

At least I thought they do-- apparently not. Or has the underlying PV technology improved that much?

I've always believed that some form of direct solar power-- as opposed to indirect solar such as wind power and ocean currents-- is the best hope for meeting the energy needs of the next couple of human generations, maybe longer. I hope PV advances make that possible.

[JohnWxy]

3. Sunri has a system which cools the semiconductor by about 3,300 degrees -

"Solar panels generate electricity when photons in sunlight knock loose electrons in silicon or another semiconductor. Other concentrated photovoltaic makers magnify sunlight about 500 times. SUNRGI says it can multiply that by four because it has a system to instantly cool its germanium-based semiconductor from 3,300 degrees to 20 degrees above ambient temperature. High temperatures can melt a solar cell."

[Vincardog]

4. The most hopeful right now is concentrating and storing the sun's heat

then using it to drive steam turbines on demand. It uses current proven technology and deals with the night time issues.

[electropop]

7. Their site doesn't address saturation - does mention heat.

They claim a "proprietary" technology for heat deissipation that keeps the germanium cell only 20 degrees above ambient - pretty amazing actually. What's in it? diamond? heat pipe?

http://sunrgi.com/index.html

It'll be interesting to watch. If they're for real, they'll be bought and destroyed by some fossil fuel company, no doubt.

[seasat]

9. I wonder if they combine a panel with a water heater.

That would be an easy solution. You get cooler panels and a solar hot water heater combined. It'd take up less space and save grid power in two ways.

[electropop]

12. The pix on their site look like a standard extruded heatsink.

The heat would just be dissipated into the air. It would make a lot of sense to recover the 63% of the solar influx which is not converted to electricity.

[JohnWxy]

10. "bought and destroyed by some fossil fuel company" - hahahaha - unfortunately you're probably right.

[Hydra]

5. And people think solar isn't viable

If solar got as much money as biofuel or nuclear, you can bet the other two would be out of business.

[FREEWILL56]

6. I'll believe it all when I see it.

There are some things they fail to tell you and 1 is that germanium cells don't output much even when given higher intensities. Another is the fact that the sun must be accurately tracked. I'll believe the prices they say when I see it as for all of the companies coming out to make price claims, none have come through on it. Oh, and if you fail to siphon that heat off the whole thing goes to never never land. A simple heatsink is not sufficient to do that.
Most of these companies making these claims are just out for a quick sucker to invest into them so they can go bellyup with your money. If any of this was real then you could be sure the big oil companies and utility companies would be in on the ground floor to monopolize it.
Do note that I am not antisolar as I have pvs, but let's keep it real.

[One_Life_To_Give]

8. Why would they sell below market rates?

Forgeting wether or not they can actually bring this to market in the time frame and at intended cost. Unless they can produce product at such a high volume that the price must drop in order to find enough customers. Then the price will remain at $5/W

[Dead_Parrot]

11. Start up? cheap PV? really soon?

[Systematic Chaos]

13. Your lack of enthusiasm has been duly noted!

Now give me 50 Hail Mary's, 20 "renewables will save us!"-es, and a solar pool heater.

:spank: