New Generation Of Best Solar Panels For Rooftops
Posted by admin on Oct 6, 2009
The Dow Chemical Company unveiled their new revolutionary photovoltaic solar panels yesterday (05 October 2009).
Dow’s PowerhouseTM product line provides solar shingles that can be integrated into rooftops with standard asphalt shingle materials. These new best solar panels for rooftops use low-cost thin-film CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium (Di-)Selenide) solar cells.
Thin-Film solar panels are certainly not the best solar panels in respect of efficiency. They reach an efficiency of 20% in the laboratory and 10% – 12% in photovoltaic modules. For comparison: The most efficient best solar panels, using GaAs (Gallium Arsenide) solar cells reach more than 40% efficiency. The second best solar panels in respect of efficiency use Monocrystalline Silicon solar cells (c-Si) and achieve circa 20%.
The Dow Chemical Company has not yet reported, what degree of efficiency their new solar shingels will obtain. But even with rather low conversion rates, Dow’s solar shingles are a very interesting alternative to rigid roof installed solar panels out of these 5 Reasons:
1. CIGS-Thin-Film solar panels are cheaper than silicon and GaAs solar panels. Yet today they are the best solar panels in respect of sales numbers worldwide.
2. Dow’s Powerhouse solar shingles do not need any mounting systems and thus reduce installation costs.
3. Conventional roofing shingles and electric solar panels shingles are installed simultaneously by roofing contractors.
4. The solar shingles can be installed by DIY homeowners, since not specialized skills or knowledge of solar panels installations are required.
5. Single shingles may be replaced easily if damaged.
The best solar panels, which are not really “panels” anymore “are expected to be available in limited quantities by mid-2010 and projected to be more widely available in 2011″. For more information visit Dow Chemical’s website here: Dow PowerhouseTM solar shingles.
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Not really the world’s best solar panels, but your first DIY low-cost low-tech solar panels experience
Posted by admin on Sep 29, 2009
This is an experiment you can easily conduct at home. Build your first low-tech anti best solar panels and learn the basics of how photovoltaic devices work.
Chances are good that you have all the stuff you need at home.
- Copper flashing or sheeting
- Tin snips
- Steel wool
- Table salt
- Micro-amperemeter
- Empty 2 liter plastic bottle
- Tap water
- Alligator clips
- Electric stove or propane torch
With this equipment you can build a solar device which is definitely not among the world’s best solar panels. It generates a humble 50 microamps at low voltage which may not even be enough to run a tiny light bulb. But try it. It’s fun and prepares you for bigger DIY projects to make your own best solar panels and drive electric devices in home and garden.
Watch this video. It leads you step-by-step to making your own low-tech non best solar panels. Have fun.
