Comments on: Researchers Unveil Flexible Solar Cell Roof Shingles

By: albert sza

albert sza — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:19:29 +0000

contact me with factory for export into Belgium

By: griffrs

griffrs — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 21:50:00 +0000

I read the release article and it didn’t even mention a prototype. The two companies had agreed only to begin research together on the encapsulation process. They were hoping to use the same thin-films used in TVs but they have to develop a UV resistant formula which could last 25 years. Why does your article make is sound like this product is right around the corner? Usually your articles are more accurate than this…

By: tp

tp — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:10:05 +0000

@ Ruggy:

Have you never Googled “solar cell shingles”?

Been available for decades. Of course they are expensive, taking even longer than the standard 15 years it takes for a photovoltaic installation to break even over standard electrical costs.

I’ll take that hundred bucks, please.

By: Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:16:29 +0000

Wow, that is truly amazing.

By: Ruggy

Ruggy — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:52:17 +0000

De ja vu. Solar shingles were announced in the early 1980’s but they’re still not available.

The problem with photovoltaic technology is that there is always something newer and potentially better on the horizon, just a few years away, and so nobody is ever willing to invest in and develop any of the technologies despite their merit.

A hundred bucks says this never makes it to market.

By: aj229a

aj229a — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:16:22 +0000

Too bad they are going to make it cost 100x the worth, simply because its “new” and they know rich “green” people with more brains than money will buy it up without thinking… then it will die a fast death and never be seen unless one of these billion dollar electric companies buys it up to do the same thing, only with the masses in mind. Yeah it might be cheaper, but this second part probably won’t happen….

By: Lone

Lone — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:14:56 +0000

Thank you. Finally a potentially practical world-wide application. Please be true so we can stop fooling around with these monolithic wind turbines and dead-end solar farms.

By: ECD Fan

ECD Fan — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 05:00:56 +0000

It is not a great product at all. It will be costly to manufacture (needs to be below 90c per watt to sell), and lower efficiency means higher balance-of-system costs. The usable life is also in question – how will they prove the product will last even 10 years? Destined to fail!

Read here about the “competitor”: http://ecdfan.blogspot.com/2009/05/unisolar-dilemma-not-selling-or-selling_27.html

By: aray

aray — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:58:10 +0000

India is greatly in need of such product. Such Solar Cell will open lts of new opportunity for the rural sectors, which is suffering because of lack of power supply.

By: DanJ

DanJ — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:24:24 +0000

Looks like it could be a really great product. Would love to read more about the manufacturing process, and how material and energy cost of manufacturing compares with silicon PV’s, which are so much higher than thin-film in general. Cost and availability would be nice as well – I hope this is something that will actually make it to market some time soon!