Comments on: Researchers Make Breakthrough in Transparent Spray-On Solar

By: Qazy

Qazy — Fri, 05 Dec 2014 02:05:00 +0000

So a spray on solar panel. How would you connect the window/solar panel to your house?

By: Mark Dixon

Mark Dixon — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:47:33 +0000

Do you think the folks at Solar Roadways could use this stuff to spray on the underside of glass that they use to pave roads? This could revolutionize their design.

We visited Scott, who developed the solar road idea and received a grant to develop a prototype. I wonder what he thinks about the spray on solar collection options…

Here’s a video about Solar Roadways that summarizes the technology: http://bit.ly/6nEhGe

By: Mark Dixon

Mark Dixon — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:47:00 +0000

Do you think the folks at Solar Roadways could use this stuff to spray on the underside of glass that they use to pave roads? This could revolutionize their design.

We visited Scott, who developed the solar road idea and received a grant to develop a prototype. I wonder what he thinks about the spray on solar collection options…

Here’s a video about Solar Roadways that summarizes the technology: http://bit.ly/6nEhGe

By: Ty

Ty — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:07:03 +0000

Wow cool! To bad there isn’t a way for this to work on any surface. Or how could this be used with the new growing industry of hybrids using electricity and new battery technology? Glass covered roofs on cars?

By: Ty

Ty — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:07:00 +0000

By: Brian N

Brian N — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:12:40 +0000

The solar pv research comes from University of South Florida – http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.2998825

and they don’t say the efficiency because its too early. The prototype is 2.2cm^2 area.

Anything in the lab is years away from delivery.

The SEC filings gives much details about their investments, subsidiaries etc.

http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1071840/000146780910000006/nene_10-q113009asfiled.htm#page_20

By: Brian N

Brian N — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:12:00 +0000

The solar pv research comes from University of South Florida – http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.2998825

and they don’t say the efficiency because its too early. The prototype is 2.2cm^2 area.

Anything in the lab is years away from delivery.

The SEC filings gives much details about their investments, subsidiaries etc.

http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1071840/000146780910000006/nene_10-q113009asfiled.htm#page_20

By: Adam Abel

Adam Abel — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:04:07 +0000

Brian N awesome information. You actually posted more then the article did. Whoever wrote this article you could learn something from Brian N and do some research before you publish articles like this. If its true this would a insane break through but this sounds way to fair fetched to work.

By: Adam Abel

Adam Abel — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:04:00 +0000

By: Alex

Alex — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:04:22 +0000

I think Brian N has hit the nail on the head with this one. You can make a working solar cell out of a powdered jelly donut and bottle of vodka (I am not kidding). Issues like efficiency, cost and viability are not trivial matters here, and none of these things are addressed.

PV window coatings however, are not a zero sum game. The efficiency of direct gain solar heating is incredibly low. Even low efficiency panels powering low efficiency heaters would dominate a high end direct gain window.

One square meter of sunlight has 1kW of energy, so bear in mind that a cheap, durable 1% efficient solar cell would find a lot of applications in a short amount of time.

By: Alex

Alex — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:04:00 +0000

One square meter of sunlight has 1kW of energy, so bear in mind that a cheap, durable 1% efficient solar cell would find a lot of applications in a short amount of time.

By: Bob Henry

Bob Henry — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:22:47 +0000

I have no idea how this works.

I think this is wonderful but what percentage of solar energy will this process generate?

Is it only 1%? Is it 11%? How much does it cost per KW hour?

By: Bob Henry

Bob Henry — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:22:00 +0000

I have no idea how this works.

I think this is wonderful but what percentage of solar energy will this process generate?

Is it only 1%? Is it 11%? How much does it cost per KW hour?

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:18:20 +0000

Transparent: having the property of transmitting rays of light through its substance so that bodies situated beyond or behind can be distinctly seen. If the light passes through this solar cell then its efficiency must be horrible.

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:18:00 +0000

By: lokki

lokki — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:29:00 +0000

Great article! thanks

By: Pablo

Pablo — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 15:09:17 +0000

@Brian N – Some applications don’t want high PV heat gain, like commercial glass-front buildings and homes in hot, sunny places like southern California and the southwest. For these areas, a window that takes in less heat and provides electricity for AC instead is quite practical.

Your suggestion of an air heating system for glass-faced buildings may make sense in the frozen north, but in the southwest many glass-faced buildings must be air-conditioned year round due to high solar heat gains.

By: Pablo

Pablo — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 15:09:00 +0000

By: lokki

lokki — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:29:19 +0000

Great article! thanks

By: Brian N

Brian N — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 02:29:48 +0000

Residential windows provide important solar gain so any conversion to electricity, lessens that gain and increases either heating or lighting load to compensate. PV on windows are therefore a zero sum game!

A glass faced building might seem to also make sense for PV coating. Once again if there is good solar gain it could be much more efficiently incorporated into a solar air heater system.

The PV efficiency was not even stated so I visited the company website octillioncorp.com and could note find much info on this.

Patel is a lawyer and they have just one scientist Livesey on board the team.

The companies primary idea is harvesting kinetic energy from slowing vehicles at well trafficked stop points. They claim 2KW generation as cars ride over it but I don’t believe the math would deliver useful output.

They claim numerous patents are being filed so

I did a USPTO advanced search yet got no results for New Energy Technologies or Motion Power or “Patel M”

I smell yet another IP company looking for easy VC on pseudo solutions.