[OFB Cafe] Cool Electric Bike

[Derek Broughton]

On July 13, 2008 23:43:25 Fred A. Miller wrote:

> 'Never know. ;) By the by, in a few years there will be NEW solar panels
> available that will produce 10x or more juice than current solar
> concentrators are able to do!! 

pfft!  My lifestyle depends on solar panels, so let me just say I've been 
listening to these promises for the _last_ 10 years.  So far there aren't 
even any prototypes that can produce anything like that efficiency, and few 
of the prototypes look all that promising.

> In involves some dyes that are used to 
> coat glass or plastic that concentrates light to solar cells around the
> outside of the "panel."

"Concentrating" light is generally not too helpful, as heat is a real problem 
with solar panels.  What most manufacturers are trying now is to get the cost 
of production down.

This is the most promising new technology I've seen in years: 
http://hardware.slashdot.org/hardware/07/12/21/1627206.shtml  Unfortunately, 
they're a manufacturer not a retailer, and their output is committed for at 
least two years.  When it _does_ reach retail, I'm betting that $1/watt is 
more like $2/watt - and panels are already available at under $4/watt.  Now, 
I'm not sniffing at a saving of 50% (if they're as durable as current 
technology) but it's not 10x the efficiency.