586,036 active members*
3,540 visitors online*
Register for free
Login
IndustryArena Forum > Community Club House > Environmental / Alternate Energy > Bright future in solar??? New plastic solar
Results 1 to 14 of 14
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Posts
    1194

    Bright future in solar??? New plastic solar

    Has anyone kept up with Alan Heegers work? He wont the Nobel prize for Physics a few years ago and now has a cheap thin film plastic solar cell they claim to get many times more efficieny out of versus the std high efficiency solar cells out today. They think they can create a solar paint! This I believe will ultimately be the answer to clean and renewable energy.

    check it out...very promising and real

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZOyhnlY0Hs&feature=related"]YouTube - Solar Printable Ink Yes! Solar Ink[/ame]

    Our salesman here talked to Alan's company and they said they are still in the R&D phase and arent ready to bring it to market.
    We have had good luck with our Fadals milling mostly soft steel and aluminum up to 5 axis. We are always looking for spare parts If you have a broken down Fadal give a shout.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Posts
    4826
    Very interesting. Of course, the oil companies are going to buy him out and we'll never hear of it again
    First you get good, then you get fast. Then grouchiness sets in.

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Posts
    2337
    Brilliant stuff. Up until recently I have been opposed to nuclear research, but with the high hopes of controlled fusion, I am slowly changing my mind.
    Solar could be a great stop gap measure in the mean time, and a supplement for remote locations.
    Being outside the square !!!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Posts
    1194
    Our salesman called the company and they said they are still in the R&D phase but should be hitting the mainstream soon.
    We have had good luck with our Fadals milling mostly soft steel and aluminum up to 5 axis. We are always looking for spare parts If you have a broken down Fadal give a shout.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Posts
    81
    Curious, what is the name of the company he is working with?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Posts
    601
    Quote Originally Posted by HuFlungDung View Post
    Very interesting. Of course, the oil companies are going to buy him out and we'll never hear of it again

    Even they realise that the oil will run out some day. Shell, and BP are 2 of the largest solar panel producers.
    On all equipment there are 2 levers...
    Lever "A", and Lever F'in "B"

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Posts
    264
    Greetings,

    This sounds very interesting. Thought I'd throw a reply in so i could keep my eye on the progress (email alert).

    Thanks!
    Mike

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Posts
    708
    Quote Originally Posted by rkremser View Post
    Curious, what is the name of the company he is working with?

    http://konarka.com/

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Posts
    3634
    This guy isn't the only one working on this type of thin solar material. I found this site a few months back.

    The links below have videos you can watch.

    They are printing this stuff with ink, very cool!

    http://nanosolar.com/index.html



    Video:

    1) http://nanosolar.com/cache/CNNvideo.wmv

    2) http://www.kqed.org/quest/television/view/399


    .
    Free DXF - vectorink.com

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Posts
    1865
    Quote Originally Posted by DSL PWR View Post
    Even they realise that the oil will run out some day. Shell, and BP are 2 of the largest solar panel producers.

    The only reason shell and BP are involved is that plastic is made from oil
    Warning: DIY CNC may cause extreme hair loss due to you pulling your hair out.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Posts
    439
    TotallyRC-
    You don't believe the latest BP TV commercials here in the US that infer that BP stands for "Beyond Petroleum”?

    NEATman

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Posts
    1865
    Quote Originally Posted by NEATman View Post
    TotallyRC-
    You don't believe the latest BP TV commercials here in the US that infer that BP stands for "Beyond Petroleum”?

    NEATman
    Yes I do, they are setting themselves up to monopolize what ever comes after petroleum. But first they will make a fortune using up the rest of the petroleum make stuff to save us from it.

    Mike
    Warning: DIY CNC may cause extreme hair loss due to you pulling your hair out.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Posts
    1194
    I cant wait until the nations of the world dont have to rely on oil from the UAE and OPEC. They use it as a weapon and it cripples economies and causes major issues with humanity. Its simplistic greed over a broad market spectrum.
    We have had good luck with our Fadals milling mostly soft steel and aluminum up to 5 axis. We are always looking for spare parts If you have a broken down Fadal give a shout.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Posts
    3
    The products that are possible from nanosolar are very exciting. It is my understanding that they do not need the plastic (silicone wafer) base that traditional solar cells require. They circuit can be printed on a metallic base. This frees up many more possibilities for their use. Metal roofing, siding, car bodies, etc... All at 1/10th of the price of traditional solar panels. It is supposed to be equivelent to the cost of producing electicity with coal.

Similar Threads

  1. Solar power
    By MBG in forum Hobby Discussion
    Replies: 58
    Last Post: 07-31-2008, 11:19 PM
  2. Mitutoyo Super Solar
    By Limited660 in forum MetalWork Discussion
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 06-25-2008, 01:33 AM
  3. Solar Power
    By naytep in forum Environmental / Alternate Energy
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 11-02-2007, 07:00 PM
  4. Please do me a favor........ ( Solar not nuclear )
    By ynneb in forum Community Club House
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 05-25-2007, 06:20 AM
  5. Solar powered flight ( See video)
    By ynneb in forum Hobby Discussion
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 02-26-2007, 06:00 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •