Making solar power affordable to the world

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/business-categories/sustainability/making-solar-power-affordable-to-the-world/article2077310/?from=sec431

Resources

Making solar power affordable to the world

MARJO JOHNE
Special to Globe and Mail Update
Published Tuesday, Jun. 28, 2011 5:00AM EDT

The hospital where John Paul Morgan worked in the Democratic Republic of Congo had “water mamas.” They were local women, and each day they arrived carrying jerry cans filled with water to provide the hospital with its crucial supply.

Thinking this system wasn’t ideal, Mr. Morgan, a physicist who worked in logistics at the time for Doctors Without Borders, installed a set of solar panels. These produced enough power to pump water to the hospital and give the water mamas a break.

“The water mamas were a wake-up call to me about the right of everyone to have access to electricity so they can pursue more valuable work,” says Mr. Morgan. “I wanted to liberate these women from the constant grind of effort, doing work that could be done with pennies’ worth of electricity.”

Still, solar panels are expensive. So, using seed money from his father, Mr. Morgan developed a new type of solar panel. Its design, material and manufacturing process make it more affordable for developing countries than conventional technology. In 2007, Mr. Morgan and his brother, Nicolas Morgan, founded Morgan Solar Inc., in Toronto.

…

[oldhippie]

1. Evil capitalist puts local "water mamas" out of work ......

.... Unions to protest! :hide:

[jwirr]

2. Great for countries that are often in deep poverty. It most likely would

not work in NE MN. However there is a down side to this - cheap solar and cheap labor will be a great job magnet.

[OKIsItJustMe]

3. Certainly not as good as SE CA, but better than you might think

[jwirr]

5. I would like to see that. We need something that ordinary people can afford.

[OKIsItJustMe]

4. Sun Simba

http://www.morgansolar.com/product

Sun Simba Overview

Based on our standard, mass-produced Light-guide Solar Optic (LSO), the Sun Simba is a fully engineered, modular concentrating solar panel that is easily scaled to customer needs. Standardization and modularity reduce project development costs, timelines, and expensive Balance of System (BOS) components associated with traditional PV installations.

Built using fewer, simpler materials – acrylic, glass, aluminum, and a sliver of a high efficiency PV cell – and well-established manufacturing processes, the Sun Simba will generate electricity at significantly lower costs than existing solar panels, while converting sunlight to electricity at efficiencies on par with industry leaders. Further, the Sun Simba is optimally designed to perform in high heat, high wind-load, and extreme moisture conditions, leading to less downtime and lower maintenance costs.

At this time, Morgan Solar is deploying Sun Simbas at test and demonstration in Ontario and in California. The Sun Simba will be available for ground-mounted projects in late 2011.