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Twin Creeks Technologies has announced a new method to make less expensive solar cells. While we see many new ways of making cheap solar panels, most of these methods focus on producing panels with alternative materials rather than silicon. But the method developed by Twin Creeks produces ultra-thin pieces of crystalline silicon by using an ion cannon dubbed Hyperion.
There are a number of different materials that are used for solar cells, but crystalline silicon is the material that has been used for cells with the highest efficiency. Unfortunately, it also has a very high cost. Much of the thickness of the silicon cell does not contribute to making electricity. Thinner cells would work as well, and use less material, but they have been too hard to produce until now, because crystalline silicon is a fragile and brittle material.
The Hyperion ion cannon bombards discs of silicon with hydrogen ions with a very precisely controlled charge. These accumulate in a layer 20 micrometers below the surface. After bombardment, the discs are transported to a furnace where the ions expand into hydrogen gas and shear off a fine layer of crystalline silicon called a lamina, which is ten times thinner than conventionally produced silicon (20 micrometers versus 200 micrometers). These pieces can be mounted on a metal backing which supports the silicon and allows it to flex without breaking. This method also eliminates the waste of silicon which is ordinarily lost from conventional sawing.
The company claims an ability to create silicon solar cells for under 40 cents per watt (half the price of conventional methods), and says that one of its Hyperion systems has the capacity to produce 1.5 million wafers - enough for 6 megawatts of solar cells - per year.
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written by Juan Miguel Ruiz, March 17, 2012
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Definitely an interesting event for the renewable energy industry. Will this put solar panels on every household roof? I'm intrigued at the prospects of providing cheap panels, and with lower acquisition costs, we can expect leaps in development thanks to individuals playing around with panels. It's definitely an exciting development. I hope they can deliver on their promises though.
Juan Miguel Ruiz
GreenJoyment
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written by Richard Sittel, March 18, 2012
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written by Jan Stephens, March 18, 2012
1. Efficiency of solar cells
To be competitive, the efficiency of solar cells needs seriously to be improved. Technologies are on the way to bring us these improvements.
2. Lower Production Costs
That's maybe the point where the breakthrough will happen in the first time.
Silicon isn't short, it's just purified silicon that is expensive to produce. Obviosusly, solar cells that need less silicon are a step in the right direction but if we can find a technique to simplify the sophisticated purifying proess, solar power will explode and the mentioned boom can happen.
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written by Kyriaki (Sandy) Venetis, March 19, 2012
I recently wrote an article about a multi-state rooftop project called “Project Amp” for the bolstering of the U.S. electric grid. With the finalizing of a $1.4 billion partial loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy, Project Amp was green-lighted to go. The solar generation project will be installed across about 750 commercial rooftops across 28 states, and the District of Columbia.
Also, schools are increasingly using solar power to reduce their energy costs. Tom’s River, N.J. has begun using solar energy to power its schools.
New Jersey government policies have created renewable energy credits that have spurred public-private partnerships for solar projects. These policies are being looked at by New York State legislators as possible models for similar future initiatives.
The Manhattan borough president recently released a report which said that public school rooftops in New York City are a vast untapped resource for generating solar power that could be used to lower yearly city energy costs by millions of dollars.
I think the cheaper solar panels are, the more viable an option they will be for all sectors and industries.
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written by Zed, March 23, 2012
These panels are 1/10 as thick, not 10 times as thin.
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written by Amanda, March 25, 2012
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written by Saso , April 09, 2012
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written by Manny @ Pacebutler Recycling Blog, April 20, 2012
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http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/37095.wss
They claim it runs on 5 watts of power.