Architectural Technologist – Nansolar

September 16, 2009 in CAD, Vectorworks

: Image via Wikipedia

I have just read the most important break through in Nanotechnology, and its happening in Europe. Nanosolar seem to have kept this vey quiet and for the last four years have been quietly working away developing a new nanotechnology Solar PV

Instead of using glass as a substrate, like First Solar and other thin film manufacturers do, Nanosolar uses aluminum foil. This has three advantages: One, foil is much cheaper (one or two cents per square foot and mil thickness). Two, it enables them to make the cells in a “roll-to-roll” process, turning a roll of foil into a roll of 50,000 cells in one continuous loop. (Check out their video to see their process in action.) Three, the end result is very lightweight and adaptable to many applications.
Nanosolar may be able to produce its modules more cheaply than any other manufacturer.Until now, First Solar’s module manufacturing cost has been the lowest in the industry at about 87 cents per watt. Nanosolar has not yet announced its manufacturing cost or module pricing, because it is only targeting utility-scale projects where the price is customarily undisclosed. (At this time, the company does not have a product for the retail market, but reports that one is in development.) But in an email response to my inquiry, Nanosolar CEO Martin Roscheisen stated that his company is “planning to demonstrate that our capital efficiency is three times as good as First Solar’s.

I am a major fan of PV I think its the real answer to our energy problems, that together with Smart grid technology, I can see we are not just there, we are on the next level and this needs to be pushed. Did I here correct that the aluminium foil tat the curcuit is printed to is flexable, if so this opens up all sorts of new materials and shapes, the whole roof as a solar cell, and it looks good !

Have a look at the film below, its a little corporate, but worth the 6 mins run time.