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The Electronic Components Blog is the place for conversation and discussion about analog/mixed signal, discrete & power devices, processors, interface & logic, passives, and memory. Here, you'll find everything from application ideas, to news and industry trends, to hot topics and cutting edge innovations.
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Portables Bank on Plastic Solar Cells

Posted March 12, 2009 7:36 AM

Developed in an academic setting and licensed to industry, a new solar cell technology relying on polymers rather than the traditional silicon materials has the potential to enable solar applications beyond the typical rooftop applications. The flexible and translucent plastic solar cells will be extremely useful for portable electronic device applications. Do you think these plastic solar cells have potential? Will this technology disrupt the photovoltaics market? Are there any barriers to entry?

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NotUrOrdinaryJoe
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Re: Portables Bank on Plastic Solar Cells

05/04/2009 1:35 PM

So, we keep hearing about these but they seem to be impossible to find for sell on the open market. Considering the fact they supposedly operate at low light levels, with shadows or not, and they may eventually be available for $0.50 per Watt, I would say that they should wipe out the conventional photovoltaic market.

I suppose they are too new for many of us to be able to buy them. But it is also too early to determine if they have a decent performance with respect to life expectancy. I suspect that performance life may be part of the reason we don't hear much about these amazing potential products.

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