Todays MIT's Technology Review has an interview with Michael Gratzel, the Swiss inventor of the dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). The cells are now in limited production by Konarka, based in Lowell, MA USA, primarily for the military. Konarka has just announced a 25-megawatt facility for a foil-backed, dye-sensitized solar cells, by G24innovations ltd. in England, based on a Konarka license.
Gratzel said that silicon cells have about twice the efficiency of DSSCs, but DSSCs operate more efficiently in the early morning and in the evening and it efficiency is not affected by temperature. As a result the DSSC is 20% or 30% less efficient than silicon cells. The main advantage of DSSC is that a factor of 4 or 5 (lower in cost than silicon) is realistic.
Their is more to the interview, so please read the article.
Konarka is a very interesting company in its own right.
It develops light-activated power plastic that is flexible, lightweight, lower in cost and much more versatile in application than traditional silicon-based solar cells.
These new materials are made from conducting polymers and nano-engineered materials that can be coated or printed onto a surface in a process similar to how photographic film is made. Anywhere there is light and a battery, power plastic makes it possible for devices, systems and structures to have their own low-cost embedded sources of renewable power
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On GEI, we are very interested in tracking these new technologies, and discussing them. Come and visit us, on the link provided
Posted by: Dr. Bubb | September 20, 2006 at 08:18 PM
it seems the link does not post. so here are two:
GEI: http://www.GreenEnergyInvestors.com
Konarka: http://www.konarka.com/
Posted by: Dr. Bubb | September 20, 2006 at 08:22 PM