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65 Comments
- x911oz, on 10/11/2007, -3/+20sorry, my father was killed by nanotubes.
- x911oz, on 10/11/2007, -3/+19“The process is simple" “Fullerene single wall carbon nanotube complex for polymer bulk heterojunction photovoltaic cells” Oh yes quite simple especially if you don't explain how it's implemented.
I love it when they say "Someday...blah blah blah" that's ***** *****. When, in the next 100 years, do you think an inkjet printer is going to be able to print nanotubes. - ostracize, on 10/11/2007, -1/+16I've read stories about more inexpensive or more efficient solar panels for like 5 years now. Until I see some results, I cry BS.
- AtheistAcolyte, on 10/11/2007, -0/+13I'll bet $50 on "by 2020".
- KibibyteBrain, on 10/11/2007, -1/+9Actually, as someone who has worked on laser printers, laser printers could print nanotubes pretty much as well as toner with modifications. The problem is getting a supply of nanotubes that doesn't cost as much as a small country...
- inactive, on 10/11/2007, -0/+7Wow, they must discover this every three days. You know what would be really cool? AN ACTUAL PRODUCT.
- damnasteroids, on 10/11/2007, -1/+7probably something on the order of a bullet in the head.
- sigmaman2, on 10/11/2007, -2/+8From the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
You got a problem wit' that? - inactive, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5Pie in the sky tech story #12,904 of the year. At this point, people will believe it when they can walk into Home Depot and buy it. Until then, meh.
- jrtcs, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5You from Joisy? I'm from Joisy!
- biotch, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5Yeah man ... its really getting on my nerves... Where are all these inexpensive panels they were talking about years ago?
So sick of it!
Bring it to the market or STFU - inactive, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4Yours too!? Who would have guessed that if you pressed enough of them together in the shape of a bullet and... well, you get the picture.
- mos6507, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4We are a reactionary short-term society. Nobody was pushing for this stuff when oil was $30 a barrel.
- Phatrician, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5It's all Carbon Nanotubes these days. Back in my day it was Space Age Polymers, and before that, it was Ball Bearings.
- Tullamore, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4We have been hearing this same story year after year why isn't everything covered in solar panels yet.
- Philconners, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3I'm sorry for your loss. They do say that's a good way to go, just like drowning.
- connis, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3In the good old days of Carter's administration, the cost of solar panels were offset by tax credits. My sister just replaced her 25 year old set when a tree took hers out. First maintenance on them.
- inactive, on 10/11/2007, -6/+9i wonder how much the oil guys will give them to shut up and stop progress.
- biotch, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3True ... except the Dems were... Renewable energy funding was dropped multiple years in a row by the Bush administration when he took office.
- noahhoward, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3Just keep sending money, your nanotubes are in the mail.
- sparql, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2They'd be more likely to buy the research. It's foolish to think that "Oil Guys" aren't thinking about how they are going to rake us over the coals once they are out of oil.
- mynameistim, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3Using this unique combination in an organic solar cell recipe can enhance the efficiency of future painted-on solar cells,” said Mitra
so printed on or painted on solar cells still don't exist, right? - qevlhma93, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2That is a really good point. Space elevators also come to mind.
- airwalkery2k, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Thanks for the math or statistics or studies backing that up.
- tnvwboy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I'm with others here. I've been waiting for affordable solar power for some time now. Hurry up already and commercialize this stuff. I doubt I'm the only one wanting to cut the shackles that the electric company has on my feet, but spending between $15K-$20K currently is too high for me. We need cheap and efficient cells so we can power our houses off a few square feet of cells (or larger cells that work even in indirect light).
- trghpy, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3Yet another technology requiring carbon nanotubes...
So... like when are they going to finish inventing carbon nanotubes?
Isn't part of inventing developing a way to manufacture the technology??? - airwalkery2k, on 10/11/2007, -2/+4That would be interesting for an electric car--a solar paint job. Recharge it on the go or away from the outlet on a sunny day. Of course, it creates a conundrum--should you park in the shade?
- biotch, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3Seriously...
Everytime we hear about a "breakthrough" it means nothing to the consumer market. Im so sick and tired of hearing about solar inventions that will take forever to put into production. We need a solution NOW!
I remember hearing about "breakthroughs" years ago.... Where are all these "breakthroughs" now? Why havent they made solar power cheaper yet? Too many people are blowing smoke up everyone's asses. - sinurgy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I like your optimism!
- ampledismantle, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Actually, I should have said "hundreds of dollars per GRAM". Granted there are many different types at varying quality.
- inactive, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2good, we might as well make use of this increasing solar activity.
- kopasa, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3If you want to see how this technology is going to be utilized, at least in theory, check out the current leaders in plastic cells, whom I believe collaborated on this work. http://www.konarka.com/ (note: these guys aren't cool at all, but they are the ones developing this technology.)
- ampledismantle, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2The nanotubes would still have to be manufactured in a lab, but they could easily be _added_ to a solution that could be printed by a printer or painted with a brush. The problem, like KibibyteBrain said, is manufacturing mass quantities of carbon nanotubes. They are not especially difficult to make, but making a butt-load of them is a different story. Right now carbon nanotubes can be purchased for research, but they are extremely expensive (like hundreds or thousands of dollars per ounce).
- MasterThief117, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2I wonder if there will ever be an energy panel that runs off of diggs.
- trghpy, on 10/11/2007, -1/+3He's correct.
1 electric Horsepower is 730 ish watts.
You'd need at least 10 (electric) horse power to make a car drivable on public streets.
Thats 7.3 kilowatts.. even if you had solar panels producing 10 watts per sq. ft. which would be damn good, you'd barely get 1 kilowatt out of the average car's surface area assuming all of the cars surface area was pointing toward the light source. In reality you'd be lucky to get 200 watts meaning it'd have to charge 36 times longer than you could drive it. - weevilgenius, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2That article lists 2 preliminary studies suggesting some level of toxicity to marine organisms when C60 is dissolved in water set against "overwhelming evidence" of the non-toxicity of C60 in previous studies. Sure this is from wikipedia, and therefore hardly conclusive, but I think it's also hardly conclusive that fullerenes are "extremely unsafe" and that a "tiny spill would kill everything in a lake". Still +1 for a good discussion point.
- blergt, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1My neighbors are getting silicon solar panels for their houses. But I'm in California: http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/static/Energy/solar/index.htm
"The California Solar Initiative offers cash incentives on solar systems of up to $2.50 a watt. These incentives, combined with federal tax incentives, can cover up to 50 percent of the total cost of a solar system."
I'm still all for cheaper solar panels though. - tnvwboy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Wow, could you be any more of a dick? Ok perhaps my desire is a bit unrealistic. You are right about the maximum amount of solar energy affecting the cells. I'll grant you that, but to want more commercially viable solar cells is not unreasonable.
I'm well aware of the battery issues and the other mundane aspects of using solar energy. That's not the issue here.
As for indirect light, if the cells are more efficient then people with houses that are not south facing or have trees that cause shade during certain parts of the day will then be able to produce more power, making solar power more viable for more people. - Stratochief66, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1How about with liquefied coal?
- bremstrong, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Solar cells have been getting less expensive and more efficient continously for the last 25 years, and the trend shows no signs of slowing. The increasing peak watts per dollar trend will probably accelerate due to the dramatic increase in venture investment in solar tech.
Havoc will ensue when grid price parity is reached... - Matajuro, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Umm... So, when was some one going to mention that they have had this around for the last few years this an old story. Only when it first came about they were talking aerosol Cans for application. Then once you have the spray on solar cell applied attach a wire to opposite sides hook up a light bulb and you've got a complete circuit.
- kopasa, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1they do, but the efficiency is abysmal
- CosmicJustice, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Inaccurate. Theoretical
- Dibidida, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1My teacher does nanotube research, I looked at it once and it was mind boggling. Their biggest problem was not making them, but making them in a large quantities relative to the materials used. Really cool stuff though
- molecool, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1You're right - it's a sensationalist comment at best. What irks me is that I keep seeing all those wonderful reports on solar cells but none of them ever make it to market. Everytime I look for gear to put up my roof the only cells I run into are the traditional (expensive/low yield) kind.
- ChayD, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Yet another thing that we can 'print on an inkjet in 10 year's time'. Last year it was flexible displays, electronic circuits the year before that, but I just can't see a profitable electronics industry allowing normal consumers to cheaply fabricate their own displays and solar panels, at least not for 20-30 years.
- AeonTorpor, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1$50 in todays currency? The way we're headed by 2020 it'll be worth 15 cents.
- MasterGrief, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Probably not enough to power an electric car with a solar paint job...
- trghpy, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1@Ignathius
If you can't produce it in reality is it really an invention? Isn't it more of an idea/concept and thus useless to reality? - TheRandomDragon, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I love how the author totally ignored the health issues with Fullerene, aka carbon nanotubes, or buckyballs, depending on the shape.... Extremely unsafe, a tiny tiny spill would kill everything in a lake, for example...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fullerene#Safety_issues -
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