Comments on: Are Thin-Film Solar Efficiency Standards Unfair? http://gigaom.com/cleantech/are-thin-film-solar-efficiency-standards-unfair/ Tue, 29 May 2012 23:38:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Eight Cool Things About Solar Power That Just Might Change the World http://gigaom.com/cleantech/are-thin-film-solar-efficiency-standards-unfair/#comment-17666 Fri, 18 Jun 2010 04:44:44 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=16004#comment-17666 [...] Thin Film Efficiency is Better Too Solar film is levelling the field on efficiency.  Thin film traditionally had efficiencies in the 10% area, roughly half the efficiency of [...]

]]> By: Eight Cool Things About Solar Power That Just Might Change the World | Easy Eco Blog http://gigaom.com/cleantech/are-thin-film-solar-efficiency-standards-unfair/#comment-17665 Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:02:15 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=16004#comment-17665 [...] Thin Film Efficiency is Better Too Solar film is levelling the field on efficiency.  Thin film traditionally had efficiencies in the 10% area, roughly half the efficiency of [...]

]]> By: The New Home Blog » Blog Archive » Eight Cool Things About Solar That Just Might Change the World http://gigaom.com/cleantech/are-thin-film-solar-efficiency-standards-unfair/#comment-17664 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:05:44 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=16004#comment-17664 [...] Thin Film Efficiency is Better Too Solar film is levelling the field on efficiency. Thin film traditionally had efficiencies in the 10% area, roughly half the efficiency of [...]

]]> By: Eight Cool Things About Solar That Just Might Change the World – Part 1 | AvailableGreenEnergy http://gigaom.com/cleantech/are-thin-film-solar-efficiency-standards-unfair/#comment-17663 Tue, 01 Sep 2009 21:20:01 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=16004#comment-17663 [...] Thin Film Efficiency is Better TooSolar film is levelling the field on efficiency. Thin film traditionally had efficiencies in the 10% area, roughly half the efficiency of [...]

]]> By: Solar Cell Efficiency Research Heats Up | Eco Friendly Mag http://gigaom.com/cleantech/are-thin-film-solar-efficiency-standards-unfair/#comment-17662 Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:55:58 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=16004#comment-17662 [...] solar companies may not like questions about their conversion efficiency, but two new studies out this week from MIT and UCLA could eventually help solar cell manufacturers [...]

]]> By: Solar Cell Efficiency Research Heats Up http://gigaom.com/cleantech/are-thin-film-solar-efficiency-standards-unfair/#comment-17661 Fri, 28 Nov 2008 02:01:35 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=16004#comment-17661 [...] solar companies may not like questions about their conversion efficiency, but two new studies out this week from MIT and UCLA could eventually help solar cell manufacturers [...]

]]> By: Solar Cell Efficiency Research Heats Up « Earth2Tech http://gigaom.com/cleantech/are-thin-film-solar-efficiency-standards-unfair/#comment-17660 Thu, 27 Nov 2008 08:00:51 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=16004#comment-17660 [...] Posted November 27th, 2008 at 12:00 am in Energy Thin-film solar companies may not like questions about their conversion efficiency, but two new studies out this week from MIT and UCLA could eventually help solar cell manufacturers [...]

]]> By: Rise & Shine: November 24, 2008 | Energy Money Savings http://gigaom.com/cleantech/are-thin-film-solar-efficiency-standards-unfair/#comment-17659 Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:09:12 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=16004#comment-17659 [...] Are Thin-Film Solar Efficiency Standards Unfair? Thin-film solar companies are tired of being asked about their conversion efficiency, which is [...]

]]> By: Los Angeles Sets 10% Solar Goal for 2020 http://gigaom.com/cleantech/are-thin-film-solar-efficiency-standards-unfair/#comment-17658 Tue, 25 Nov 2008 06:01:15 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=16004#comment-17658 [...] will be made at Solar Integrated Technologies, an LA-based company contracted last month to supply thin-film solar panels for a 1.1 megawatt project by Oregon utility Portland General Electric. Los Angeles [...]

]]> By: TruthSeeker http://gigaom.com/cleantech/are-thin-film-solar-efficiency-standards-unfair/#comment-17657 Mon, 24 Nov 2008 20:33:51 +0000 http://earth2tech.com/?p=16004#comment-17657 What did Mr. Marcelino Susas really say? Energy Conversion Devices’ PV product is triple-junction. Did he say that ECD’s product performs better than ECD’s product?

Mr. Susas is actually new to this, and his lack of familiarity with thin film performance may be excused. Based on real world data, flat thin film panels perform like optimally tilted crystalline panels over the year (+/-5% KWH per KW). Optimally tilted thin-film panels may perform up to 20-25% better than optimally tilted crystalline panels. Unisolar’s laminates (PVL-136) are just 6.3% efficient – even if glued to optimally tilted roof, effective efficiency is still less than 8%. Way less than any crystalline panel on the market!

And let’s not forget that thin film panels degrade faster than crystalline. Unisolar’s PV product has just a short 20-year warranty (vs 25 years industry standard) and degrade over 1% a year (according to NREL), in likely violation of their own 80%-rated power warranty.

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