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Technology Review: Clearing the Way for Cheap, Flexible Solar Panels
Could this move solar panel use into the mainstream? I hope so:
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The film is 3M’s answer to demand by solar-panel makers–particularly manufacturers of certain thin-film solar cells–for an alternative to glass. Glass has been the armor of choice because it’s cheap, weather-resistant, and durable enough to last decades. The vast majority of the solar panels made today rely on glass as the top cover. But glass also adds weight and bulk to solar panels, and it must be packaged carefully to keep it from breaking, adding to shipping costs. By replacing glass, the new film can do away with the need for supporting racks, which is particularly useful on roofs that can’t bear a lot of weight. Blending solar panels into roofs also can overcome aesthetic objections by homeowners.
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Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.
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Whenever I see stuff like this I think about Bruce Mau’s Massive Change exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery in ’04. Imagine flexible panels combined with the cylindrical wind turbines they had on display–no wider than a standard water heater. A light environmental and physical footprint. Imagine a setup like that on every building.
Oh, but didn’t our local leaders tell us peak oil would turn Victoria’s multi-storey buildings into vertical ghost towns?