Spherical Solar Cells
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 07.30.07
Japan's Clean Venture 21 has developed a new spin on solar with their Spherical Silicon Solar Array. Texas Instruments evidently first made them in the '80s but efficiency was only about 10% and the costs were high; Clean Ventures puts each little 1mm ball into a little reflector. It still is only 12% efficient, but they claim that it has only one fifth the amount of silicon and should only cost one fifth as much to make, using half as much energy as conventional solar cell manufacture. Evidently silicon balls are made by dripping rather than cutting, so little raw material is needed, there is no cutting, and the optical properties are good.
::Diginfo movie here; Japanese ::Clean Venture 21
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Fascinating advancements like this in clean energy technology that are taking place elsewhere in the world should compel our nation toward greater dedication and leadership in this crucial matter.
We must create a voluntary market for clean energy and bring up its demand to stimulate the needed investment in technology and development!
Go to SmartPower.org and find out about the clean energy options that may be available in your community, and how we can inspire each other to use them.
If we create enough of a market for solar, wind and hydro energy, the government will then be forced to take notice and provide the funding incentives needed to truley bring our country to be leaders in clean energy.
SmartPower.org
So when can I put one on my roof?
I suggest we find out why it costs so much to buy these solar panels. Roof panels are in the thousand dollar range. What happened to the Panasonic double out put Patent solar panels that were to replace all--2 years ago ??
If the chinese can make color TV's for $30.they sure can make a good solar panel for $2. Just imagine what work and materials goes into building a TV and compare that to a solar panel===a fraction !
its a nice idea for having spherical panels .
the design is also aesthetic pleasing but the problem which may occur will be
1. rain water collection in the reflectors
2. dirt accumulation, which wont be easy to remove.
if you have already thought of it then what are the remedies to prevent these problems, so that i can use these cute cute panels too.
Umm.. put a piece of glass on top? Seems like a good idea, reflectors and lots of surface area...
it is funny, yesterday, i had almost the same idea... but mine is a little different. Mine was a sphere that rotates completely every five minutes... gets 650 mega watts every time on a single solar "tile"