| When it comes to breaking our oil addiction, solar | | | | efficiency has led to a serious problem. You need |
| energy is often sited as a perfect renewable | | | | a large number of cells covering a large area to |
| energy platform. There are problems with it from | | | | gather enough energy to power a home, town or |
| a cost perspective, but there is light at the end of | | | | city. Economically, the process just is not feasible |
| the tunnel. | | | | when compared to most other energy platforms. |
| There is little doubt we have a looming energy | | | | As you might imagine, most solar energy |
| problem in the world. While gas prices may seem | | | | research is devoted to figuring out ways to |
| high now, things look particularly grim over the | | | | convert the sunlight more efficiently. |
| next 60 years. Oil exploration is at an all time low | | | | In 2006, a stunning breakthrough was made in |
| while at the same time emerging economies such | | | | solar cell efficiency. In joint research with the |
| as China and India increase the demand on | | | | Department of Defense, Spectrolab, Inc., produce |
| existing supplies. Throw in population growth of | | | | a solar cell that converts more than 40 percent |
| approximately another 3.5 billion people over the | | | | of the sunlight into energy. If you don't think we |
| next 50 years and we are definitely staring down | | | | have an energy problem, consider the fact that |
| the wrong end of a energy shotgun. Of course, | | | | Spectrolab is a subsidiary of Boeing. Boeing and |
| this doesn't even begin to account for global | | | | the Department of Defense working on solar |
| warming issues. | | | | energy? Yes, we have a looming energy problem. |
| To get off fossil fuels, most are pointing to | | | | Regardless, the new solar cell approaches the |
| renewable energy sources. These platforms run | | | | conversion process from a new angle. The idea is |
| the gamut from wind turbines to tidal farms in | | | | to build a multilayer cell. Each layer of the cell is |
| the ocean to solar energy and beyond. Of these, | | | | designed to catch the energy in one spectrum of |
| solar is probably the best known, but most | | | | the sunlight and let the others pass through. While |
| problematic. At least, that was the case till 2006. | | | | it may sound simple, the process is very complex. |
| Solar power is a wonderful thing. It is clean in all | | | | Regardless, the defense industry...err |
| senses of the word. The power source, the sun, | | | | Spectrolab...pulled it off. |
| is free and should be around for a few billion | | | | With a 40.7 percent efficiency, we are talking |
| years. In fact, the sun bathes the Earth with | | | | about a three fold increase for these cells. This |
| enough energy in one day to meet our world | | | | equates to a much smaller number of cells and |
| wide power needs for a year. That being said, | | | | corresponding space being needed for solar |
| solar has always been handicapped by one thing. | | | | energy platforms. This, of course, lowers the cost |
| We cannot harness the power of the sun. | | | | of systems. Is it enough to make solar |
| Solar panel systems work by using sunlight to | | | | competitive without government subsidies? No |
| stimulate a chemical process in silicone cells. While | | | | one is sure yet, but it might be. More importantly, |
| a novel concept in the 1950s, the system never | | | | Spectrolab believes the efficiency can be |
| has been efficient. In the 60s, a solar cell | | | | improved more as further research is done on |
| converted about four percent of energy in | | | | the cell. |
| sunlight to usable power. Today, most systems | | | | With such a major breakthrough, it is to bad |
| are about 12 percent efficient at best. This lack of | | | | nobody noticed! |