Cheap PhotoVoltaics from South Africa?
Envoi de Millennium Twain le 22 Février 2006 21:01:39:
Electrodynamic Mother Sun: Cheap PhotoVoltaics from South Africa?
--- In LeagueOfTheLastDays, MessiahTwain wrote:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LeagueOfTheLastDays/
'SA solar research eclipses rest of the world'
Willem Steenkamp
February 11 2006 at 12:50PM
http://www.int.iol.co.za/
index.php?art_id=vn20060211110132138C184427&set_id=1&click_id=143&sf=
In a scientific breakthrough that has stunned the world, a team of South
African scientists has developed a revolutionary new, highly efficient solar
power technology that will enable homes to obtain all their electricity from
the sun.
This means high electricity bills and frequent power failures could soon be a
thing of the past.
The unique South African-developed solar panels will make it possible for
houses to become completely self-sufficient for energy supplies.
The panels are able to generate enough energy to run stoves, geysers, lights,
TVs, fridges, computers - in short all the mod-cons of the modern house.
Nothing else comes close to the effectiveness of the SA invention
The new technology should be available in South Africa within a year and
through a special converter, energy can be fed directly into the wiring of
existing houses. New powerful storage units will allow energy storage to meet
demands even in winter. The panels are so efficient they can operate through a
Cape Town winter. while direct sunlight is ideal for high-energy generation,
other daytime light also generates energy via the panels.
A team of scientists led by University of Johannesburg (formerly Rand
Afrikaans University) scientist Professor Vivian Alberts achieved the
breakthrough after 10 years of research. The South African technology has now
been patented across the world.
One of the world leaders in solar energy, German company IFE Solar Systems,
has invested more than R500-million in the South African invention and is set
to manufacture 500 000 of the panels before the end of the year at a new plant
in Germany.
Production will start next month and the factory will run 24 hours a day,
producing more than 1000 panels a day to meet expected demand.
Another large German solar company is negotiating with the South African
inventors for rights to the technology, while a South African consortium of
businesses are keen to build local factories.
The new, highly efficient and cheap alloy solar panel is much more efficient
than the costly old silicone solar panels.
International experts have admitted that nothing else comes close to the
effectiveness of the South African invention.
The South African solar panels consist of a thin layer of a unique metal alloy
that converts light into energy. The photo-responsive alloy can operate on
virtually all flexible surfaces, which means it could in future find a host of
other applications.
Alberts said the new panels are approximately five microns thick (a human hair
is 20 microns thick) while the older silicon panels are 350 microns thick. the
cost of the South African technology is a fraction of the less effective
silicone solar panels.
Alberts said in Switzerland it was already compulsory for all new houses to
include solar technology to lessen energy demands on national grids.
"And that was the older, less effective technology. With our hours of
sunlight, we will on average generate twice as much energy than, for instance,
European countries."
While South African scientists developed and patented the new, super-effective
alloy solar panels, other companies have developed new, super-efficient storage
batteries and special converters to change the energy into the power source of
a particular country (220 volts in South Africa).
Eskom spokesperson Carin de Villiers said any new power supply that lessened
the load on Eskom was to be welcomed.
She said Eskom was also doing its own research on solar energy.
"In fact, we are currently investigating building what will probably be the
largest solar power plant, in the Northern Cape - a 100-megawatt facility."
She added that Eskom was also researching wind and fuel-cell technology as
alternative energy sources.
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