Wayfarer

Game Changer in Solar Energy: PG&E Inks Deal

Jack,

Thanks for the further comments. I too believe alternative energies are a certainty and soon. There are a number of little thinfilms that have or will start production in the next year. On top of Optisolar which is evidently not so little there is Global Solar whose product is flexible and manufactured roll to roll. Their current efficiencies are 10% with projections of 13% in 2010. They have a partnership with DOW which might allow them to scale very rapidly at some point and the flexible product sounds very interesting for covering entire residential roofs.

Game Changer in Solar Energy: PG&E Inks Deal

Jack,

Thanks for the post. I too am confident a long term ITC will be passed within the next year. Also, do you have any idea what Optisolar's solar efficiency is? Their large 500 meg entry to the solar world makes me wonder if their solar efficiency is significantly better than FSLR's.

Game Changer in Solar Energy: PG&E Inks Deal

Thanks for the post but I think there must be a miss print in this. The articles say Sunpower's 250 MegWatt system will produce 550,000 megawatt-hours per year. It says Optisolar's 550 MegWatt system will produce 1,100,000 megawatt-hours per year.

This doesn't make any sense because it implies that Optisolar's thin film technology on an unmoving rack system is as efficient as Sunpowers 2 dimensional tracking system. No way.

Further, it is a pretty fair bet that Sunpower's panels will be 22% solar efficient or better. I seriously doubt if Optisolar is produciing a thin film with efficiencies approaching the 30% which would be necessary to make up for being rack mounted. First Solar's efficiencies are about 10.5%. If Optisolar is producing something approaching 30% it would change the world very quickly.