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[MetalSlimeHunt]

Australian researchers work out how to make cheap shitty silicon create better solar-cells than the current top-grade expensive stuff.

This is going to radically drop the price of Photo voltaic solar energy. Current top-grade PV harvests 17-19% of the sun's energy and costs a packet, the new process patented by UNSW (University of NSW) uses cheap silicon and harvests 21-23%. Apparently the price of solar panels has fallen 65% in the last 2 years due to skyrocketing production in China. This new technology promises to drive the price of solar energy down even further.

Told you so. Our future is in the power of the shining sun.

[10ebbor10]

Just as a note, current top grade PV reaches levels as high as 40%. Though that's lab quality, not the stuff you see sold commercially.

Though really, I read about a whole lot of these solar breakthroughs. Nothing ever seems to happen with them.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Are you watching for things happening with them? Because twice as much solar was installed in the US last year than the year before it. Nor has that growth stopped. In fact, it has intensified.

I don't have the charts on hand and I'm too hungry to go looking for them right now, but wind is already on the exponential upcurve and solar is just about to hit it.

[10ebbor10]

Those are all the standard technologies though. None of those new and improved solar pannel thingies.

On the other hard, rare earth prices should normalize in about 3 years, which will give a significant boost to these technologies.

[SalmonGod]

Carbon energy industries are still immensely powerful, and I imagine the most likely thing is they push their influence in the media to stay as silent as possible on solar.

[10ebbor10]

I can't even find anything about the new pannel technology on green websites. Probably still in testing phases.

Edit: On a sidenote, reports of the European commision are rather interesting things to read.

[Nadaka]

And as far as I know, Solar thermal is still much better suited to large scale production, requiring no rare elements or problematic chemistry while being capable of producing power 24/7 without advances in battery tech and with efficiencies above 30%.

[Reelya]

I can't even find anything about the new pannel technology on green websites. Probably still in testing phases.

Edit: On a sidenote, reports of the European commision are rather interesting things to read.

The development only hit the news in Australia on May 6th, so give it some time. BTW the research was heavily funded by Suntech, the world's largest panel manufacturer which is based in China, and has ties to UNSW, and they have a legal right to deploy the technology, whilst the university has the right to license the tech to third parties. Suntech is actually having financial difficulties now, which could be either good or bad for the rapid deployment of this technology, depends on how things go.

[Loud Whispers]

IT'S HAPPENING

SAVE US BASED PUTIN

[Guardian G.I.]

IT'S HAPPENING

SAVE US BASED PUTIN

The Syrian civil war is slowly turning into a proxy war between Russia and the USA.

[Sheb]

Not really. Russians have trouble understanding than since the end of the World War, the US (and the rest of the world in general) don't really care about them anymore. The US are in for a variety of reasons, none of which is fighting Russia.

[10ebbor10]

I can't even find anything about the new pannel technology on green websites. Probably still in testing phases.

Edit: On a sidenote, reports of the European commision are rather interesting things to read.

The development only hit the news in Australia on May 6th, so give it some time. BTW the research was heavily funded by Suntech, the world's largest panel manufacturer which is based in China, and has ties to UNSW, and they have a legal right to deploy the technology, whilst the university has the right to license the tech to third parties. Suntech is actually having financial difficulties now, which could be either good or bad for the rapid deployment of this technology, depends on how things go.

Similair breakthrough's are announced practically every year. Was talking about those more than this one.

[Guardian G.I.]

Not really. Russians have trouble understanding than since the end of the World War, the US (and the rest of the world in general) don't really care about them anymore. The US are in for a variety of reasons, none of which is fighting Russia.

Russians have never trusted the Western world, and don't trust it now. Such distrust has deep historical and cultural roots.

[Scoops Novel]

Not really. Russians have trouble understanding than since the end of the World War, the US (and the rest of the world in general) don't really care about them anymore. The US are in for a variety of reasons, none of which is fighting Russia.

Russians have never trusted the Western world, and don't trust it now. Such distrust has deep historical and cultural roots.

And your point is? I'm struggling to recall anyone who trusts the western world, including those who compose it.

[Loud Whispers]

Y'see, trust is relative...

Trust is absolute; trust is not mutual.