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New, Inexpensive MIT Solar Panels Could Hit Markets by 2011

planetsave.com — MIT engineers say they’ve created a new approach to harnessing the sun’s energy that also provides windows with a clear view and illuminate rooms at the same time without the need for tracking devices.

Who dugg this? Made popular Jul 11, 2008

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  • SteelChicken, on 07/11/2008, -7/+81if currentdate >= lastdate(of next big solar panel save the universe article) + 1 month then
    { generate random article on solar panels saving the universe about 3-5 years out }
    repeat until the end of time
  • zacharytelschow, on 07/11/2008, -1/+56I'm sick of hearing about "soon." Write me when something like this actually goes to market and I can buy it. When will then be now?
  • earnjam, on 07/11/2008, -1/+46Soon.
  • inactive, on 07/11/2008, -4/+40This is a great idea that would really improve solar implementation. I really hope they do make it to market as soon as they estimate (but it always ends up taking longer). Keep up the good work MIT. I can't believe they named such a great school after Mit Romney!?!?
  • tcpip4lyfe, on 07/11/2008, -2/+27BREAKING:random article on solor panels that never will get produced.
  • Devrdander, on 07/11/2008, -1/+26I think the Romney thing was a joke :-P
  • frostbyt, on 07/11/2008, -1/+23Dugg for not gonna happen.
  • YZBot, on 07/11/2008, -0/+17When are all these breakthroughs going to come to market? There seems to be one just about every month. I've got cash, throw me a bone already.
  • phreak79, on 07/11/2008, -0/+15It can't come soon enough. I think solar has real potential but until one of these great new innovations hits the market there will always be cynicism.
  • inactive, on 07/11/2008, -1/+11My cabin is solar powered. I don't know what people mean when they talk about how it can't be implemented or it's not cost effective. I had pannels installed 6 years ago, it added 25% value to my cabin and I don't have electricty bills. I put the cost on the mortgage and it comes to 22$ less than my average electricity bill per month.

    I use the cabin in summer and winter (it's close to a ski resort).

    I really don't get what the problem is. Doesn't work for appartments, but for houses, no problem.
  • gavinhudson, on 07/11/2008, -2/+12This would be great - a sun roof that IS a solar panel. Next step, just get yourself that new Ox EV and drive on free power from the sun.
  • forcedfx, on 07/11/2008, -1/+11Hook... line... sinker
  • bigfootindy, on 07/11/2008, -0/+10Yikes, only a 3 month lifespan? There's always a catch...
  • jefuchs, on 07/11/2008, -0/+10I say this all the time. I won't get excited about these new super solar panels until the story comes with a link that says "click here to purchase."

    They've been getting people whipped up over these "breakthroughs" for too many years, and nothing ever goes retail!
  • NotFactorial, on 07/11/2008, -0/+9A better article about the technology at

    http://technology.newscientist.com/article/dn14293 ...
  • andy3109, on 07/11/2008, -1/+9Every week a new article about "affordable solar panels coming in 20XX." In 2007 they were coming in 2009. In 2008 they were coming in 2011 etc.
  • bjzq8, on 07/11/2008, -3/+11Never, because all of these "innovations" are grant-trolling academia BS, and not economically feasible.
  • ldone, on 07/11/2008, -0/+8Dyes only last 3 months! A work in progress for R&D
    I look at this as more of an update than a breakthrough
  • unfilterthought, on 07/11/2008, -0/+7Now this is neat. They should implement this on normal windows too.
  • rezonq3, on 07/11/2008, -0/+7How soon?
  • secrity, on 07/11/2008, -0/+6In regards to practical photovoltaics and clean alternative energy, I've been hearing 'soon' for over thirty years so far.
  • inactive, on 07/11/2008, -0/+6As they should?

    My rig produces 22,000 watthours per day and I have a standby generator.
  • JHW539, on 07/11/2008, -0/+6Do you realize the improvement in cost per watt that solar PVs have gone through in the past decade? Everyone is lusting after the breakthrough next big thing and ignoring the slow but steady advancement. If you took a top-of-the-line commercialized Sun Power panel from today back 15 years, it would be touted as an amazing leap forward in efficiency versus cost.
  • forcedfx, on 07/11/2008, -1/+6Hopefully, this doesn't turn out to be vaporware like so many other breakthroughs.
  • toejamz, on 07/11/2008, -0/+5Then is now, now.

    Nano Solar is shipping solar cells that are printed on aluminum foil, just like a newspaper, at a rate of 100 FEET PER MINUTE. You can see it here: http://www.nanosolar.com/blog3/ The actual cost of production drops by 2 orders of magnitude - 1/100th the cost!

    They've been producing it as fast as they can, but their production for YEARS is already sold because it's so much cheaper than their competition.
  • inactive, on 07/11/2008, -2/+7You need a little more coffee this morning, JCM ;-)

    MIT Romney....
  • DrummerAndrew, on 07/11/2008, -0/+4You just missed it.
  • CarStan, on 07/11/2008, -1/+5i dont know whats with all the scepticism but here in germany solar cells are already really profitable. Near my hometown theres a company that started in 1999, with their first cells being produced in 2001. They employ 1.500 people now and make a revenue of $1bil- äh, €1billon (must be about $1.5 right now).

    You can see several middle-class houses with solar-panel roofs. After about 3-5 years they have paid off the investment and if the article is true, they can be cheaply upgraded to 50% more efficency.
  • inactive, on 07/11/2008, -2/+6Meh... There are two t's in MITT. I thought that he was saying that MIT named one of its schools after Romney, which wouldn't be surprising. I could see something like the "Mitt Romney School of (insert specialization) Business" or something popping up somewhere.
  • zmigliozzi, on 07/11/2008, -1/+5Less expensive so instead of billionare's it's cheap enough for millionare's. Anyways why not just wait until the multi-spectrum panels that are literally 6x's more powerful.
  • BigW, on 07/11/2008, -1/+5No, until one of these new innovations hits the market, solar isn't feasible. But the innovations are coming, this is just one of the first. What's neat about this one is that it appears to give a real efficiency gain using a very simple method.
  • imakeholesinu, on 07/11/2008, -1/+4Until they get these things up to between 25-35% efficiency, this really won't make a difference.
  • DirtyBinLV, on 07/11/2008, -0/+3Even if you had 100% efficient panels, (and we're nowhere close) the energy provided by car sized solar panels would not be able to move the vehicle at any acceptable speed. Roof panels could run accessories and get some free charge while you're at work, but the laws of physics say they will still need to plug in.
  • fuknlightn, on 07/11/2008, -0/+3By 2011 this planet could be a ball of bubbling molten stank. Should push for 2009 instead.
  • inactive, on 07/11/2008, -0/+3one more step in the right direction
  • bman1984, on 07/11/2008, -0/+3When did they begin working on this crazy idea that someday, processors would be small enough and cheap enough that the everyday person would be able to afford one for their own home? Technology does not advance from research to commercial overnight.
  • Barackalypse, on 07/11/2008, -1/+3Why do all these alternative energy stores go something like:
    1) Major new breakthrough drastically decreases price or increases output
    2) Available at some point 2-3 years away
    3) Technology never seen or heard from again
  • toejamz, on 07/11/2008, -0/+2It isn't. Google for Nano Solar. They print solar cells like newspaper on aluminum foil. Their machine prints at a rate of 100 feet per minute. Their production capacity for the next several YEARS is already sold - they're building more capacity as fast as they possibly can. (apparently, access to the money to do it isn't a problem, it just takes time to actually do it!)
  • IllBeBack, on 07/11/2008, -0/+2What do you do for power at night? I'm curious, not trying to be sarcastic. I am interested in getting solar panels for my house.
  • Chebsi, on 07/11/2008, -0/+2if comment == pseudocode then {
    diggUsers.digg(comment)
    }
  • inactive, on 07/11/2008, -0/+2It's all about money. If solar panels were truly cost effective then they would be purchased and used and the market for them would skyrocket. It's all about money.

    And to AchaIemoipas, it sounds like you've got a pretty good setup going. However, I'm guessing you've got a unique situation. Again, if it were cost-effective, then everyone would do it... not because it was "green" or "earth-friendly" but because (say it with me now): It's all about money.
  • skatiN64, on 07/12/2008, -0/+2please tell me what that is from!
  • nsreidy, on 07/11/2008, -0/+2They have only paid off the investment because the German government offered huge subsidies for PV panels. This is stupid, because Germany does not get as much sun as many other countries (e.g. Spain), and it has resulted in the price of silicon being driven up world-wide.

    See: "law of unintended consequences" and "what happens when the government tries to pick winning technologies"...
  • inactive, on 07/11/2008, -0/+2yeah, its rough, but once mass production sets in, the price is bound to drop.
  • gavinhudson, on 07/11/2008, -0/+2Excellent observation. I was just talking recently with solar researchers at a university here in South Korea who said the same thing.
  • lettruthout, on 07/11/2008, -0/+2We have them on middle-class homes here in California also. Sure solar systems will be cheaper in the future but they make sense now.

    If no one bought the first personal computers we won't have them at all today. Instead they're cheaper and more powerful than they were a few years ago.

    The same is already happening for solar electric.

    Solar thermal is years ahead of it.
  • Browncoat, on 07/11/2008, -0/+2For those who only know bbcode, let me translate

    [b]NOT GONNA HAPPEN[/b]
  • lettruthout, on 07/11/2008, -0/+2When pollution levels start to drop, population levels come down, we have sustainable sources of food, water, energy and all species come off of the endangered list.

    We have a long way to go.
  • deathsythe, on 07/11/2008, -0/+2Naw - it would be much better on Linux.
  • bubba9999, on 07/11/2008, -1/+3When the "time to hit market" value is more than three years, I know the product will never see the light of day because something better will be discovered before it goes into production.
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