Nanosolar’s Ultra Thin Solar Panels Could Go East

By being longer, Nanosolar’s solar panels are less costly to install

Advances in solar energy panel technology is reaching a stage where it is now possible to purchase DIY home kits to create solar powered electricity on the roofs of your home.  And solar array panels are even being installed on the roofs of chicken coups to provide electricity for agricultural use.  Solar energy cells are also becoming less expensive due to mass production in countries like China, and thanks to the materials in which the solar cells are being produced. Such is now the case of an American company, Nanosolar, which is producing solar energy cells using an ‘industrial’ printing process to coat CIGS (Copper, Indium, Gallium, Selenium) and nanoparticle inks on low-cost aluminum foil in order to enable the world’s thinnest solar cells and lowest-cost solar panels.

A Nanosolar array farm

Nanosolar’s philosophy is to produce solar panels that are not only as thin as possible, but cost-effective too.  The company also is striving to reduce the environmental impact caused by the production of the solar cells, in order to be more friendly to the earth.

One of the ways this is done is by recycling as much of their production wastes as possible, as well as recycling their office waste such as paper and used toner cartridges.

Nanosolar’s utility panel is made to be longer than other types of solar panels, two meters instead of 1.2 meters, which reduces costs of panel cabling and assembly labor. The panel incorporation of glass and glass laminate together with steel frames make the panels more durable. And being certified for higher electrical wattage, the panels are much more efficient in solar conversion to electricity.

One of Nanosolar’s customers is the large French renewable energy company EDF Energies Nouvelles. Energies Nouvelles is involved in  solar energy and wind energy projects all over France other parts of  Western Europe, as well as in Turkey.

With the use of longer, more efficient solar panels. Nanosolar’s uniquely designed solar panels may also soon be part of solar energy projects in the Middle East as well.

::nanosolar

More on solar energy in the Middle East:
Kibbutz Recovers from Killer Forest Fires by Going Green

Home Kits to Capture the Sun From Roofs and Private Homes

Saudis to Maintain Energy Hegemony With Postage Stamp Size Solar Cells

Suntech to Sell Home Solar Panels in Israel