Newest Solar Energy Development Could Be Gamechanging

If you’re keen into reading about new technologies, it’s easy to notice developments all around the world taking place by the day, if not by the hour.  The renewable energy sector has been no exception – New gadgets and unique ways to harness energy are making the wildest dreams of today become the legitimate possibilities of tomorrow.

Despite most recent technological advances, if you’re familiar with solar energy it’s easy to find articles validating that the greatest vice of the industry is its inability to compete with the costs and efficiencies of energy mainstays like oil, coal, and natural gas.

With that said, V3Solar is claiming to have created a new solar device that will not only compete with big energy, but the levelized costs of energy (LCOE) will be “two-thirds the price of retail electricity and over 3 times cheaper than current solar technology’.  This is a “conservative” estimate, as independent consultant Bill Rever confidently puts it, but tests show the new device is achieving 8 cents per kilowatt hour of generation.  On a larger scale, if 8 cents per kWh becomes attainable for solar energy, it would silence the pundits who express discontent about the sector receiving a substantial amount of tax breaks and exemptions that currently aid solar companies.

Because it’s dubbed the ‘Spin Cell,’ most can probably guess one part of what makes the new device so special.  The rotating motion of the device works to keep it cool, much like a summer breeze hitting our skin to prevent us from overheating.  As a result, its performance is impossible for a regular panel to match.  In fact, one photovoltaic (PV) cell can handle a concentration of energy equal to 30 suns, improving the efficiency of the PV by 20% over most standard panels.  As V3Solar’s informational video says, “we make the photons dance!”

The Spin Cell also has one more trick up its sleeve – it’s not a flat panel.  Their report states, “For too long, the world believed solar was flat…[but] using specialized lensing and a rotating, conical shape, the Spin Cell can concentrate the sunlight…with no head degradation.”  In other words, a huge advantage the Spin Cell has over its flat counterparts is its “additive effect of sunlight,” or the ability of the sun to hit the panels from infinite angles, creating a multiplier effect that results in better performance.  In comparison, most standard panels are limited by their angle, missing out on the time the sun doesn’t directly face it. (Unless the panels have tracking systems, which are very expensive)

Another huge factor in the Spin Cell’s favor is that the sun can ‘hit’ part of the solar cone practically anytime it shines.  Its three-dimensional design eliminates idle time when the sun isn’t hitting an angled panel, further augmenting its effectiveness.

Truth be told, they simply look very attractive too; see for yourselves below.   Just imagine the aesthetic possibilities of these. Being only a meter across in size, cities could place one atop every street light, making them self-sufficient, for example.

If the performance calculations hold up under real world settings and if they can make the cones fast enough, it appears V3Solar could be on the verge of something unprecedented.  “We simply put a new spin on solar to bring light to the world,” V3Solar’s informational video concludes, and as of now that’s a tough point to contend.

Energy Collective

24 Comments on "Newest Solar Energy Development Could Be Gamechanging"

Bor on Wed, 30th Jan 2013 7:16 pm 



It is a new spin, all right…

Arthur on Wed, 30th Jan 2013 7:51 pm 



Imagine a large field covered with these spinning solar devices; energy generation is going to be like being in a disco, hopefully without the music. And windturbines are not standing still either. Renewables have a hypnotic quality about them.

LT on Wed, 30th Jan 2013 8:22 pm 



If solar panels/converter systems and wind turbines are all manufactured with human muscles, then it is worth an appraise.

Otherwise, it just prolongs the present status quot a few more years.

“Deal with reality, or reality will deal with you!” _Matt Sarvina (?, sorry, forgot the name)

cusano on Thu, 31st Jan 2013 12:51 am 



VERY cool. Although its unlikely that any single technological miracle will negate peal oil…ideas like this can’t hurt.

GregT on Thu, 31st Jan 2013 12:52 am 



LT,

You are correct, if these systems are to be of any use to us at all, we need to build them while fossil fuels are still relatively cheap and abundant.

They will do nothing more than replace a fraction of current electrical generation from fossil fuels though. Hardly what could be considered a game changer.

BillT on Thu, 31st Jan 2013 1:08 am 



LT, you are correct. These are just variations on a theme and what is the NET energy? It obviously takes some energy to make them spin and then there are moving parts to wear out and replacement/maintenance costs and on and on.

And what is the ‘actual’ cost comparisons between these and the most efficient flat panels? I can buy flat panels here in the Ps for less than $5 per watt in any home dept. Much cheaper if I were buying a whole system. Telling me that it produces electric for 8 cents per kwh tells me nothing. Is that lifetime or?

LT on Thu, 31st Jan 2013 1:34 am 



Mr. Greg T:

Thank you for your kind words.

Let me put it this way:

Solar panels and wind turbines compared to petro oil are just like PISTACHIOS and peanuts compared to wheat.

Although Pistachios and peanuts both are food and thus helpful, they can’t replace wheat (breads/spaghetti/flours).

🙂

BTW: My background is in electrical engineering; therefore, I know very well what works and what doesn’t.

Remember in the late 80s and the 90s, people talked a great deal about HIGH temperature superconductors that can be, one day, used to replace the current overhead transmission lines. The idea has been long dead since 2000. Never heard of it again.

DC on Thu, 31st Jan 2013 1:49 am 



While I support solar power and renewables in general, whenever I hear the word ‘game-changer’ I now start to tune out, or just instinctively want to grab hold of my wallet.

I have seen few if, any genuine ‘game-changers’ in the last few decades. The only thing even close to a ‘game-changer’ is the internet itself! And that is hardly an energy sipper. As for as genuine energy innovations, one I can actually go to a store and buy and utilize in my daily life.?

About zero-zip and none. The only real option NA’s have really is to drop out of the system, or simply use the energy suckers. And N.A. life is explicity designed to marginalize people that go that route. IoW, make life as hard on anyone trying to avoid the drive-shop-consume ratrace as the system possibly can. Little if any energy ‘innovations’ have been allowed to filter down to the private citizen, at least not in big-coal-big-oil and big-nuclear controlled North America.

Maybe genuinely useful-affordable and efficient low-carbon technologies are available,somewhere, but looking for them in Canada or the US is almost a complete waste of time.

This is my perception of the pace of ‘innovation’ here, FWIW. The only in town is the fossil-fuel game, and that game, I am here to tell you all, is 100% RIGGED.

GregT on Thu, 31st Jan 2013 2:02 am 



If you happen to live beside a stream, there is the option of micro hydro.

Like I said before, it will keep the lights on at night, but will do nothing to solve our liquid fossil fuel predicament.

Harquebus on Thu, 31st Jan 2013 2:11 am 



For these types of generators to work, they have to give more energy than is required to make and maintain them. That would be perpetual energy and all of our “dreams” will have come true.
The laws of physics do not allow them.

Kenz300 on Thu, 31st Jan 2013 6:17 am 



While this may not be a home run you don’t need home runs to win the game.

A lot of base hits can make a winning strategy.

GregT on Thu, 31st Jan 2013 6:35 am 



Kenz,

In this game we may never reach home base, we are merely trying to prolong the inning.

SilentRunning on Thu, 31st Jan 2013 6:48 am 



I have seen this device before.

Let me change the headline to conform to Reality:

“Spin Cell” Gizmo WILL NOT be a Game Changer.

As an Electrical Engineer with a firm grasp on the basic physics and math – the spinning conical solar cells WILL NEVER gather more energy than a flat panel that is even horizontal. Almost all of the cells in the Spin Cell are pointed in very poor orientations with respect to the sun, and spinning them around just makes it time variable which one faces the sunlight the best.

Far better to use the motor to slowly track the sun. Far less energy would be wasted then with rapid spinning motion. Even better still to track a mirror on a concentrated solar cell (20 to 50 suns) that is designed for maximum efficiency ( now almost 50%).

This device is just aimed at people who don’t understand physics and are desperate for good sounding news. Probably they are trying to bilk would be investors. If you are even considering investing in this scheme – you would be flushing your money down the toilet.

Arthur on Thu, 31st Jan 2013 3:29 pm 



“This is a “conservative” estimate, as independent consultant Bill Rever confidently puts it, but tests show the new device is achieving 8 cents per kilowatt hour of generation.”

Hope so, but these guys are trying to collect adventurous money to fund their project. I know how this work as I worked for a Dutch solar cell research group myself in the eighties. The group leader secured funds by calling the national prime time news with a sensationalist story. After a couple of years, the research group was abandoned without the promised breakthrough. I am a little sceptical also about the prospect of large fields with rotating cones of 1 m diameter. This is complicated technology that will not function for 25 years uninterruptedly, like the good old solar panel on the roof, that will be kept clean by the rain alone, and that is becoming cheaper by the day, thanks to economy of scale.

“if these systems are to be of any use to us at all, we need to build them while fossil fuels are still relatively cheap and abundant.”

We don’t. All we need is high enough eroei. New renewable devices can be constructued with energy from renewables as well. No oil necessary.

“As for as genuine energy innovations, one I can actually go to a store and buy and utilize in my daily life.?”

Sure you can.
http://zonnemarkt.nl/zonnepanelen/

“A lot of base hits can make a winning strategy.”

Exactly Kenz. The future energy base will be extremely ‘diverse’, a combination of a large number of ‘solutions’, grids, storage, local production combined with traditional methods. The recent past used to be an eldorado of financial wizards a la Gekko; they are out bigtime. The future is to energy techies, who can convert a turd in at least 10 kwh.lol

Mike999 on Thu, 31st Jan 2013 5:20 pm 



Electricity is REPLACING Gas Today.
It’s called: The Volt

Arthur on Thu, 31st Jan 2013 5:49 pm 



The Volt is driving on gas… that is turned into electricity… in the power station. It is an inefficient, wasteful intermediary step. It would only make sense if that electricity would come from renewables, but let’s first make sure we can fuel our ipads (3 Watt) and LED-lighting (12 Watt) with renewables, before we have a go at cars (45,000 Watt)

GregT on Thu, 31st Jan 2013 6:49 pm 



Arthur,

“We don’t. All we need is high enough eroei.

Exactly my point, when you factor into the cost, the manufacture, transportation, installation, and maintenance of all of the processes involved, and then you factor in the same for the parts of the panels and then the panels and systems themselves, you will arrive at a net loss of EROEI.
Oh, and I also forgot to include the energy required for the human labor, and transportation of every human involved as well.
Without fossil fuels it will be extremely difficult, if not impossible to mine, refine, and produce the materials in any quantity to build any kind of systems at the scale needed. Not to mention that there are not the resources on the earth to do so. Even if it were possible to install a solar system on every home on the planet. This would not even come remotely close to supplying us with the energy to continue on as we are.

As fossil fuel production declines, so will our civilization, BAU is coming to an end, and there is nothing that is going to change this. Sorry.

FoxV on Thu, 31st Jan 2013 6:52 pm 



I’m with Silentrunning. This is a scam that defies logic let alone debate.

First principle of solar cells: they must face the sun to work. Please say I don’t have to explain why spinning won’t change this.

Fools and their money…

J-Gav on Thu, 31st Jan 2013 6:59 pm 



Sure does sound good! Just one little prying question: What resources go into the fabrication of these mini-miracles and how abundant are they?

Arthur on Thu, 31st Jan 2013 10:43 pm 



Greg, I had a discussion with Bill about net energy of wind (solar same story). Wind and solar have enough positive net energy.

http://peakoil.com/alternative-energy/wind-beats-out-natural-gas-to-become-top-source-of-new-electricity-capacity-for-2012/

You can have a reasonable ‘energetic society’ with renewables, but the longer we wait the more difficult it will become to arrive at the renewable energy nirwana. But in principle the energy available is infinite (but not the resources). See it like a real challenge like similar challenges in the past: building a railroad network in the 19th century, or a nation wide electricity grid, or manufacturing of cars for everybody.

GregT on Fri, 1st Feb 2013 3:58 am 



Arthur,

I am having a very difficult coming up with any concrete numbers on this one, but have found some interesting info. Apparently the gas used in PV manufacturing is 17,000 times more potent as a green house gas than CO2:
http://e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2085
I haven’t been able to find info as to whether this has been rectified or not, but it does not appear so.

It is also not possible to generate the heat required to manufacture solar panels from electricity, but there is a technology that can do so.
http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/07/solar-powered-factories.html
That of course would add a whole new dimension to the manufacturing process.

I do know that to install a solar system on my home would take somewhere between 7 and 10 years to pay back, but that is not really comparing apples to apples.

Building a rail system, an electric grid, or cars are not really relevant because they required extensive fossil fuel input and half a century or longer to evolve.

Also, as I have pointed out before, try to imagine your world with no fossil fuel inputs, it would look nothing like the present. Oh, and the really big problem…….food production.

GregT on Fri, 1st Feb 2013 4:01 am 



Arthur,

I am having a very difficult time coming up with any concrete numbers on this one, but have found some interesting info. Apparently the gas used in PV manufacturing is 17,000 times more potent as a green house gas than CO2:
http://e360.yale.edu/content/feature.msp?id=2085
I haven’t been able to find info as to whether this has been rectified or not, but it does not appear so.

It is also not possible to generate the heat required to manufacture solar panels from electricity, but there is a technology that can do so.
http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/07/solar-powered-factories.html
That of course would add a whole new dimension to the manufacturing process.

I do know that to install a solar system on my home would take somewhere between 7 and 10 years to pay back, but that is not really comparing apples to apples.

Building a rail system, an electric grid, or cars are not really relevant because they required extensive fossil fuel input and half a century or longer to evolve.

Also, as I have pointed out before, try to imagine your world with no fossil fuel inputs, it would look nothing like the present. Oh, and the really big problem…….food production.

Kenz300 on Fri, 1st Feb 2013 5:22 pm 



Wind and solar installations are growing around the world.

The price of oil, coal and nuclear keeps rising.

The price of wind and solar keeps dropping with technological advances every year.

Easy Choice.

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