Thin film technology promises solar powered cars for the masses.

February 12, 2015 2023-07-09T09:17:27 by 2 Comments
a solar car in adelaide

Solar cars are quickly maturing from wacky racers like this to mass market models. Bring it on!

Ever considered the seemingly endless possibilities of solar thin film technology for mobile energy generation? Mr Li Hejun, CEO of China-based thin film solar company Hanergy Thin Film Power Group Ltd certainly does and outlined his vision (or dream depending on your point of view), of a future where this technology dominated mobile energy needs.

Mr Li presented his strategy for mobile energy future as “…a revolution in the way energy is generated and used” in a keynote speech delivered at a ceremony in China last week to launch its global thin film solar product innovation competition. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Innovations Tagged With: ,

Can the world produce enough raw materials to feed the solar panel boom?

November 24, 2014 2021-02-10T13:13:02 by 5 Comments
solar panel factory

Can the word produce solar panel materials fast enough to keep up with demand?

It’s now almost a given that solar energy is the answer for the world’s energy problems. As experts have noted, it is entirely conceivable (perhaps inevitable) that solar will be the world’s first choice for energy by mid-century. With regular improvements in PV technology driving cost and efficiency breakthroughs, the predictions of the amount of total energy solar will make up is constantly being revised upwards.

Even those countries with a somewhat less than supportive legislative framework for renewables (any guesses?) are seeing solar growth cycles. As discussed last week, in these cases its a matter of the politicians lagging well behind the people on this vital issue of our times.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Economics Of Solar Tagged With: , ,

Poly vs. Monocrystalline Solar Panels – Let’s put this argument to bed!

October 22, 2012 2017-04-28T15:17:07 by 13 Comments

One steaming pile of Solar BS that you hear all the time from worst sales people in this industry – who will feed you any line to get a sale – is that polycrystalline panels are better than monocrystalline solar panels, or vice versa.

In this video I finally get off my chest why you should avoid anyone spouting such drivel:

Transcript follows if you don’t like listening to angry, sweary solar geeks, and I go into great detail about the two technologies over on the main site:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Panels Tagged With: , , , ,

The Problems With Thin Film Solar Panels

December 29, 2011 2016-05-30T14:04:05 by 26 Comments
Thin Film Solar Panels in a solar farm

Picture: Thin Film Solar Panels on a solar farm in Germany

If you are looking to buy a solar power system and have done any kind of research on the web, then you have probably  come across lots of people  arguing over the pros and cons of Thin Film Solar Panels compared to the more common monocrystalline or polycrystalline solar panels. In a nutshell, there are 3 major types of solar panel technology on the market:

  • MonoCrystalline,
  • PolyCrystalline
  • Thin-Film

It seems a lot of people are firmly in either the “Crystalline” or “Thin-Film” camp. And when discussing which panel is best, they can easily lose their objectivity with arguments along the lines of “Thin Film is the only way to go” or “Mono Crystalline and Poly Crystalline are junk!”.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Solar Panels Tagged With: , ,
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