Record Setting Photovoltaic Cell is 40.8 Percent Efficient

[cobalt1999]

Good article that shows investing in alternative energy does bear fruit...


The future of solar is looking much brighter

Solar power is taking off around the world. The European is planning to deploy various types of solar power to the Sahara to provide for the European Union's energy needs. Meanwhile, here in the U.S., California is expanding its solar efforts as well.

However, amid the progressing adoption of solar technology, one perpetual criticism that persists is that solar power is inefficient and expensive. To some extents this is true. The current generation of photovoltaic solar panels -- the type of solar power perhaps most associated with the field -- is only around 20 percent efficient and thus costs remain relatively high, like many forms of alternative energy.

A new breakthrough from U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is looking to solve those problems. It pushes solar cells to uncharted technology with a record 40.8 percent efficiency. The new work shatters all previous records for photovoltaic device efficiencies.

www.dailytech.com/Record+Setting+Photovoltaic+Cell+is+408+Percent+Efficient/article12684.htm

[LeftHander]

1. New formula for "efficiency" needed....

Searching for, pulling, transporting, refining, delivery and combustion oil based fuels is considered efficient?

This efficiency rating is jabberwock from the oil lords to keep the public perception of solar energy as "inefficient" - COMPARED TO WHAT?

You point a solar panel at the sun. It makes electricity.

Put a barrel of oil in the sun in the middle east. What happens...(beside G.W. Bush invading the country it sits in?)

[cobalt1999]

2. I think efficiency is best measured by cost.

If you are paying someone to pull, transport, refine, & delivery oil based fuels, all those costs have to be calculated and included in the price.

As for solar, the nice thing about the breakthrough, is the building of the solar cells, transporting to a location, installation and maintenance is already in the cost, but we now get twice the electricity out of them.