Powerful solar panel developed

Maybe fifteen times more powerful just means fifteen times as big. . . Great invention!

Do the math. The *least* efficient commercial-grade photovoltaic cells now run at 7% efficiency rating. These guys are claiming a 15x increase, so that would amount to at least 105%.

The laws of physics say that no form of energy production can achieve 100% efficiency. Believe it, this is one law that can't be "broken".

Hydro-electric generators can exceed 80% efficiency. The US Dept. of Energy recently published an article about a "super-boiler" plant that acheived 93-94% over the past year. That's as good as it gets!

So, how are these guys able to do something nobody else has ever been able to? Can you spell SCAM, kiddies? I thought so.



The article says that the company declined to say how the panel works even though it is supposedly already patent protected. Also, they talk about oil companies squashing similar products which is rubbish. What is really telling though is that there are already solar panels that capture most of the spectrum so their supposed breakthrough makes no sense. The problem with pv efficiency is preventing electrons from being recaptured.

"A local entrepreneur and an electrician from California ..."

Aren't these the same guys that promised software that would run DX10 under Windows XP?

15 times more powerful doesn't mean 15 times the efficiency. A mere gain of 5% efficiency could yield 15 times more energy gathered. With regard to the 15x multiplier the article strictly compares the actual amount of energy, not the % efficiency. Learn to read.

...unless you live in Tokyo.

I live in Canada and I've got 3.5 acres. Talk to me about watts per dollar. I could care less about watts per square meter or efficiency.

If someone can produce panels that are 10% efficient, but only $10 per square meter, then the world will change.

If someone else achieves 80% efficiency, but it costs 30 times as much as the 10% version, then there is no payback (unless you're space restricted).

You may wonder what solar panels have in common with solar panels. 

When companies came up with that 50 times faster crap, they based it on the slowest speeds, often 14.4kbps. (I'm talking about in the states, you bloke may have had other spins on the speeds). 

Similarly, when comparative ads are run between the two competitors in an area (we rarely have more then two broadbrand suppliers for any given area, if any at all) they always compare their fastest performance verses their competitors slowest.

So yes, these could be 15 times better... then other 2% efficient solar panels. 
These get rich quick schemes are usually based on slightly skewed info, good marketting, and by the time the dust settles, the people running the show have bailed out and left a shell of a company to slowly go bankrupt. 

Think of it as a slightly longer term pump and dump scheme.

This is too good to be true, which means that almost certainly it's not true.

I wouldn't really read too much on being able to use the whole EM spectrum, journo must have confused efficiency with being able to use the whole spectrum.

They could be using quantum wells but I can't imagine how the efficiency would increase so dramatically

If it's 15 times more efficient, then I'm all for it. At near or around 80% efficiency, I'll buy, no problem.
The only question is, how efficient is it really ?
I hope they actually have managed and that their claim is not biaised or based on a falsehood. Because if they have given the world solar panels that function at near-90% efficiency, then we will finally see solar panels on a lot more things than what we see currently - and that will do a world of good in the long run.

I'll be first in line to invest in a solar panel with well over 200% efficiency!

Solar radiation at the earths surface is about 1400 W/m^2 so the panel will have to be about 2.3m^2 if it's 100% efficient to generate that much power. It wont be anywhere near 100%...

Photocells are a lot more than 17% these days. 40-45% cells are around.

75% is suppose to be the ultimate goal.

New Scientist has a article this week on solar panels.

Photovoltaic panels work by photons exciting electrons to go from one energy level to another. 
Then on moving back to their original energy state, they release that energy (which we capture as electricity)
Photons come in all energy sizes and by having a material which contains more energy levels, or a combination of materials to capture photons of different energy, then you can theoretically "farm" all of the available energy.
I'd like to see it in practice, but it is very possible. I believe that last year 40% efficiency was achieved in tests.

we'll send someone from MI6 'round shortly, Mr. Scaramanga.

With the quote 'The company said the oil industry has squashed or shelved similar technology' it reveals itself to be snake oil.

there are panels on the market today from about 7% to +-15% efficiency.
If this method is 15 times better it gets 105% to 225% of the available energy from light.I would like them to concentrate on ftl travel next. That should be easy too ;)

Doesn't this sound like more that 100% ? 

Either that or the care comparing it with a 7% efficiency panel and are now getting 100% ? Neither seems likely. And the price does not sound like its a 15th of cost. What are the odds its just another fresnel lens.

I'm not from Missouri, but I'll believe it when I see it. The color black captures all the (visible) light from the spectrum, but gives back zilch, nada, squat of electricity. 
Now if were composed of two parallel surfaces reflecting the light of a laser back and forth between them at just the correct angle and spacing, there might be a substantial increase in output. That's about it, unless different dye layers are made to react to different colors of the suns spectrum. (Blu Ray or HD gone wild?)
If it works, the Inq will have it in place in short order. Mike's not one to dilly dally around.