In reply to Horace Heffner's message of Mon, 11 Apr 2005 01:26:34 -0800: Hi,
This should bring you up to date: http://www.pacificsolar.com.au/ [snip] >Thanks for the response. Maybe this has something to do with what I remebered: > >At 7:14 PM 5/22/96, Martin Edmund Sevior wrote: >>I've just read the annual report on the Center for PhotoVoltaics at University >>of New South Wales, in Sydney. These are the guys who hold the patents on the >>most efficient solar cells in mass production and who also hold the world >>record for efficiency of Silicon solar cells (24%). Last year they obtained >>patents on a new technology that will produce solar cells cheap enough to >>compete with conventional "Grid connected" electricity. It is based on >>multi-layer polycrystaline silicon deposited on glass substrates. These are >>only 50 microns thick. They've demonstrated the technology can produce cells >>of 17% efficiency which is already greater than their target efficiency of >>15%. They expect to produce cells that cost around $2 per peak watt. >> >>These cells can then be mounted on cheap "non-imaging" concentrators of their >>own design that do not need to move to track the sun. Their design >>concentrates light by a factor of 4 while only losing 15% of the total >>light incident. The concentrators are robust enough to be >>used as roof cladding. The combination of the "thin" cells and the >>concentrator >>will reduce the cost of solar energy to $0.5 per peak watt. At this price >>solar energy is fully competitive with fossil fuel power. >> >>They have formed a partnership with the State of New South Wales electricity >>Uitility, Pacific Power and are 1 year into 5 year plan to mass produce these >>systems. The plan has Pacific Power investing 64 million dollars over the >>5 years to bring the technology to commercial reality. They have exceeded >>their >>own milestones in the first year of operation. >> >>What has this to do with CF? Namely all those guys out their who think they >>will make tons of money from their marvellous inventions they can't tell >>anyone about had better be aware of this tidal wave from solar energy. If >>there is something to CF it will need the full attention of the world's >>scientific community and the world's capital markets to exploit. >> >>I have no more patience with people who say they have fantastic results and >>devices but can't let you try it for yourself. I will name names. CETI, >>Reed Huish, E-QUEST, Mills and Piantelli, the world doesn't need CF. >>It will be ignored until convincing evidence is made widespread AND anyone >>who wants to replicate an effect can and does. >> >>Martin Sevior > > >At 1:32 PM 4/24/97, Martin Sevior wrote: >>Gnorts Vorts! >> >>Some of you may remember that last year I posted some information about >>Solar Photovoltaic cells. The gist of the post was that a collaboration >>between the Photovoltaics Special Research Center at the University of >>New South Wales in Sydney, Australia and Pacific Solar exists with the >>aim of reducing the cost of Solar Cells by a factor of 5 - 10 in a 5 year >>research and development program. Pacific Solar is a wholly owned subsidary >>of Pacific Power the electric Utility of the Australian State of New South >>Wales (NSW). They have an installed capacity of about 12 Gigawatts. >> >>The collaboration has completed the first 2 years of the project and >>state "they >>are ahead of schedule". The technology they're developing is thin silicon >>deposited on glass. Unfortunately details are scetchy because of >>confidentiality clauses, but my contacts say they have advanced the field >>"incredibly" well. >> >>A parallel development are the roof tile project, which employs a >>non-imaging concentrator to reduce the amount of silicon needed for a working >>cell. The device could also be used for a roofing material in one's house. >>They've acheived 4:1 improvement in light concentration in a device with >>an overall efficiency of 19%. >> >>At the same time they've developed an invertor that allows locally >>generated power (within a property) to be sent out to the grid. The electric >>distribution utilities in oz will then give a credit for all energy >>generated and sent out to the grid. >> >>There is already a market in oz from people who are willing to pay extra for >>electricity generated within their own property. Systems which >>cost about $10,000 give you essentially free electricity, once you take your >>credits. So they appear to be priming the market for consumer supported >>electricty generation. If they can deliver a system that gives free >>electricty for $2000, which appears feasible on current projections, the >>system would pay for itself in less than 4 years. At that point the market >>would explode. >> >>I'll keep you informed of progress. I'll repeat what I said last year. The >>world doesn't need CF to achieve sustainable economic growth. >> >>Martin Sevior > >Regards, > >Horace Heffner > Regards, Robin van Spaandonk All SPAM goes in the trash unread.
