Solar happenings

[jcstp]

do big electricity producers have to pay to put their electricity on electricity-infrastructure?
I thought clients payed it with their bills!

 

[Robert.Boston]

do big electricity producers have to pay to put their electricity on electricity-infrastructure?
I thought clients payed it with their bills!

Independent power producers pay the capital cost of their interconnection and all required reinforcements of the transmission system. The price they are paid for their power also reflects transmission losses associated with delivering its power to load.

(The above statements are true in competitive wholesale markets. Your market may vary.)

 

[dpeilow]

Spherical Micro Solar Cells | Products | Kyosemi Corporation

 

[ElSupreme]

City of Atlanta introduces an Electric Car Charging Station in Atlantic Station

I have seen the same Volt there a lot. I think they live in one of the nearby apartments. It is free parking too where everywhere else costs after 2 hours.

 

[Sparrow]

When they first opened the Atlantic Station Charging site in the Fall of 2011, the plan was to start charging something like $3 per hour starting in January. If it is still free, I guess they rethought that idea.

 

[ElSupreme]

When they first opened the Atlantic Station Charging site in the Fall of 2011, the plan was to start charging something like $3 per hour starting in January. If it is still free, I guess they rethought that idea.

I haven't been down there since really early January. The Volt was there. I didn't look that time to see if it was free though. It could be pay now. I noticed it was free in Nov/Dec tire frame.

 

[TEG]

Wouldn't this be better in the "solar carports" thread...

Yeah... I just "moved" mine there.

 

[JRP3]

I don't remember seeing this one before:

 

[Norbert]

Germany, China, US Could Install Record Amount of PV in 2012 : Greentech Media

Despite cuts in subsidy levels, Germany will install a record 8 gigawatts of photovoltaics in 2012, according to Germany's trade chamber, the DIHK. That's up slightly from the 7.5 gigawatts installed in 2011.

The United States finished 2011 with over 1.8 gigawatts of PV installed, according to GTM Research Managing Director Shayle Kann. In a sneak peak at 2012 forecasts to be revealed later this week, Kann and his team expect U.S. solar installations to approach 3 gigawatts in 2012.

 

[Larry Chanin]

New super-cheap, ultra-thin solar cells could threaten fossil fuel dominance

Twin Creeks Technologies, a US-based solar energy startup, unveiled this week a new type of ultra-thin solar cell that cost half as much to produce as comparable cells. The drop in price could allow solar to serve as a practical alternative to fossil fuels.

Larry

 

[Brian H]

Slooowwww charging

I don't remember seeing this one before:

2 KW? That's charging at about 7 miles an hour. Feel-good silliness.

 

[doug]

2 KW? That's charging at about 7 miles an hour. Feel-good silliness.

looks like it was going to be damaged by the wind.

 

[SByer]

New super-cheap, ultra-thin solar cells could threaten fossil fuel dominance

For those that would skip the article as more thin-film hype; it's not, it's about using an ion cannon to cut silicon wafers very thin with very little lossage. Very cool.

 

[JRP3]

2 KW? That's charging at about 7 miles an hour. Feel-good silliness.

Or enough daily charging while at work to more than cover the average vehicle miles per day. Charging need not be at a high rate to be quite practical.

 

[VolkerP]

wow. If this works out, great times for PV are ahead. The described method eliminates sawing the silicon ingot into wafers, a process that turns 50% of the solar-grade silicon into non-recyclable slush.

 

[Norbert]

Another article on Twin Creeks:

Startup Aims to Cut the Cost of Solar Cells in Half - Technology Review

Sivaram says that by greatly reducing the use of wire saws and related equipment and making thinner wafers, Twin Creeks reduces the amount of silicon needed by 90 percent and also greatly reduces capital costs. He says the technology can be added to existing production lines. The company's primary plan is to sell manufacturing equipment, rather than produce solar cells. "I expect that by this time next year, we'll have a half a dozen to a dozen of these tools in the field," he says.

 

[vfx]

I don't remember seeing this one before:

Solar dishport?


@
http://www.skysongcenter.com/

 

[dpeilow]

Good news: juwi confirms UK presence, reveals large-scale solar plans |Solar Power Portal

Even more good news: Planning permission no longer required for non-domestic solar installations |Solar Power Portal


The latter was 2 days after we got permission through for our large array... perhaps they'll give us the fee back

 

[zack]

New solar technology:

Scientists unveil solar cells the width, flexibility of spider silk | The Raw Story

 

[Robert.Boston]

New solar technology:

Scientists unveil solar cells the width, flexibility of spider silk | The Raw Story

One could develop car wrap with this -- though they didn't give any indication of energy production per m^2.