On 4/11/2010 5:58 PM, Swingman wrote:

On another subject, what are you hearing that is new about "spray on"
solar panels?

I'm not much involved with PV panels, but I do try to keep an eye on
news:alt.solar.photovoltaic for developments - and the concensus there
seems to be that coatings aren't yet ready for prime time.

This was big news about five years ago in the green building seminars,
and then disappeared into the noise.

Well, it could be that the folks in a.s.p were right, or it might be
that producers were pricing products higher than the market was willing
to pay for what they got, or even that the expectation of falling prices
for silicon panels made the technology less attractive - or all of the
above.

Went to another seminar a couple of weeks back and it was brought up by
the organizers again as a "rapidly emerging technology"?

Methinks that's a favorite label for "anything that might make me some
green in this lousy economy".

If you come across something that looks/sounds really good, get a sample
and check it out. If that's not possible, get a demonstration. If they
can't even do that, keep your wallet in your pocket and invite 'em to
call you when they're ready.

Seems that some manufacturers are coming out with windows coated with a
spray on product?

Why not? Just remember that only so much energy is delivered to each
square foot. Current silicon panel efficiencies run in the 10% ballpark,
so purchasers are going to need substantial window area to get
worthwhile amounts of electricity.

It wasn't by accident that I chose to build passive solar heating panels
- where efficiencies in the 80% bracket are reasonable.

--
Morris Dovey
DeSoto Solar
DeSoto, Iowa USA
http://www.iedu.com/DeSoto/