Solar Power Breakthrough!

One more embarassment for America, which would rather spend its resources on military aggression and world domination than on the solution to global warming and the betterment of humanity! ------------------------------------- South African Solar Research Eclipses Rest Of The World by Willem Steenkamp, February 11 2006
In a scientific breakthrough that has stunned the world, a team of South African scientists has developed a revolutionary new, highly efficient solar power technology that will enable homes to obtain all their electricity from the sun.
This means high electricity bills and frequent power failures could soon be a thing of the past.
The unique South African-developed solar panels will make it possible for houses to become completely self-sufficient for energy supplies.
The panels are able to generate enough energy to run stoves, geysers, lights, TVs, fridges, computers - in short all the mod-cons of the modern house.
The new technology should be available in South Africa within a year and through a special converter, energy can be fed directly into the wiring of existing houses. New powerful storage units will allow energy storage to meet demands even in winter. The panels are so efficient they can operate through a Cape Town winter. While direct sunlight is ideal for high-energy generation, other daytime light also generates energy via the panels.
A team of scientists led by University of Johannesburg (formerly Rand Afrikaans University) scientist Professor Vivian Alberts achieved the breakthrough after 10 years of research. The South African technology has now been patented across the world.
One of the world leaders in solar energy, German company IFE Solar Systems, has invested more than $500-million in the South African invention and is set to manufacture 500,000 of the panels before the end of the year at a new plant in Germany.
Production will start next month and the factory will run 24 hours a day, producing more than 1,000 panels a day to meet expected demand.
Another large German solar company is negotiating with the South African inventors for rights to the technology, while a South African consortium of businesses are keen to build local factories.
The new, highly efficient and cheap alloy solar panel is much more efficient than the costly old silicone solar panels.
International experts have admitted that nothing else comes close to the effectiveness of the South African invention.
The South African solar panels consist of a thin layer of a unique metal alloy that converts light into energy. The photo-responsive alloy can operate on virtually all flexible surfaces, which means it could in future find a host of other applications.
Alberts said the new panels are approximately five microns thick (a human hair is 20 microns thick) while the older silicon panels are 350 microns thick. the cost of the South African technology is a fraction of the less effective silicone solar panels.
Alberts said in Switzerland it was already compulsory for all new houses to include solar technology to lessen energy demands on national grids.
"And that was the older, less effective technology. With our hours of sunlight, we will on average generate twice as much energy than, for instance, European countries."
While South African scientists developed and patented the new, super-effective alloy solar panels, other companies have developed new, super-efficient storage batteries and special converters to change the energy into the power source of a particular country (220 volts in South Africa).
Eskom spokesperson Carin de Villiers said any new power supply that lessened the load on Eskom was to be welcomed.
She said Eskom was also doing its own research on solar energy.
"In fact, we are currently investigating building what will probably be the largest solar power plant, in the Northern Cape - a 100-megawatt facility."
She added that Eskom was also researching wind and fuel-cell technology as alternative energy sources.
Source: http://tinyurl.com/ceezt

Probably much cheaper than "silicone" panels for sure...LOL
"SQLit" wrote in message

"Freedom Fighter" wrote in message
One more embarassment for America, which would rather spend its resources on military aggression and world domination than on the solution to global warming and the betterment of humanity! ------------------------------------- South African Solar Research Eclipses Rest Of The World by Willem Steenkamp, February 11 2006
In a scientific breakthrough that has stunned the world, a team of South African scientists has developed a revolutionary new, highly efficient solar power technology that will enable homes to obtain all their electricity from the sun.
This means high electricity bills and frequent power failures could soon be a thing of the past.
The unique South African-developed solar panels will make it possible for houses to become completely self-sufficient for energy supplies.
The panels are able to generate enough energy to run stoves, geysers, lights, TVs, fridges, computers - in short all the mod-cons of the modern house.
Lets see South Africa and no mention of a/c. Starting motors even small ones on solar can be a real problem.
http://www.aps.com/my_community/STARtour/default.html?seq=1 This is one of the premier solar sites in the world, just a few miles away from my home. These guys are using every technology that there is. A lot of it can not handle the Arizona sun for very many years.
I noticed in your post you fail to mention the cost of this "new technology". Or should I hold my breath until it is available.

Yeah, sure.. I believe it.
Only seen these kind of blurbs about 500 times in the past 25years.
And still waiting....
------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Freedom Fighter" wrote in message

One more embarassment for America, which would rather spend its resources on military aggression and world domination than on the solution to global warming and the betterment of humanity! -------------------------------------

On Fri, 17 Feb 2006 22:05:32 GMT, "Windsun" wrote:

Yeah, sure.. I believe it.
Only seen these kind of blurbs about 500 times in the past 25years.
And still waiting....

That reminds me. The Sunballs were supposed to start shipping this month. Has anyone reading taken delivery yet? ;-)
Wayne

"Freedom Fighter" wrote in message

One more embarassment for America, which would rather spend its resources on military aggression and world domination than on the solution to global warming and the betterment of humanity! ------------------------------------- South African Solar Research Eclipses Rest Of The World by Willem Steenkamp, February 11 2006
In a scientific breakthrough that has stunned the world, a team of South African scientists has developed a revolutionary new, highly efficient solar power technology that will enable homes to obtain all their electricity from the sun.
This means high electricity bills and frequent power failures could soon be a thing of the past.
The unique South African-developed solar panels will make it possible for houses to become completely self-sufficient for energy supplies.
The panels are able to generate enough energy to run stoves, geysers, lights, TVs, fridges, computers - in short all the mod-cons of the modern house.

Lets see South Africa and no mention of a/c. Starting motors even small ones on solar can be a real problem. http://www.aps.com/my_community/STARtour/default.html?seq=1 This is one of the premier solar sites in the world, just a few miles away from my home. These guys are using every technology that there is. A lot of it can not handle the Arizona sun for very many years.
I noticed in your post you fail to mention the cost of this "new technology". Or should I hold my breath until it is available.

That reminds me. The Sunballs were supposed to start shipping this month. Has anyone reading taken delivery yet? ;-)

Well, production was supposed to be funded by the Minister of Finance in Nigeria - unfortunately his untimely death has left the sum of $500 million US trapped in a Swiss bank without a means to transfer the money to South Africa. All they need is your bank account number to route the money through, and they can start funding the new technology immediately ...
/Roy

What's that smell? Anybody else smell cows, or bulls for that matter?
"Freedom Fighter" wrote in message

One more embarassment for America, which would rather spend its resources on military aggression and world domination than on the solution to global warming and the betterment of humanity! ------------------------------------- South African Solar Research Eclipses Rest Of The World by Willem Steenkamp, February 11 2006
In a scientific breakthrough that has stunned the world, a team of South African scientists has developed a revolutionary new, highly efficient solar power technology that will enable homes to obtain all their electricity from the sun.
This means high electricity bills and frequent power failures could soon be a thing of the past.
The unique South African-developed solar panels will make it possible for houses to become completely self-sufficient for energy supplies.
The panels are able to generate enough energy to run stoves, geysers, lights, TVs, fridges, computers - in short all the mod-cons of the modern house.
The new technology should be available in South Africa within a year and through a special converter, energy can be fed directly into the wiring of existing houses. New powerful storage units will allow energy storage to meet demands even in winter. The panels are so efficient they can operate through a Cape Town winter. While direct sunlight is ideal for high-energy generation, other daytime light also generates energy via the panels.
A team of scientists led by University of Johannesburg (formerly Rand Afrikaans University) scientist Professor Vivian Alberts achieved the breakthrough after 10 years of research. The South African technology has now been patented across the world.
One of the world leaders in solar energy, German company IFE Solar Systems, has invested more than $500-million in the South African invention and is set to manufacture 500,000 of the panels before the end of the year at a new plant in Germany.
Production will start next month and the factory will run 24 hours a day, producing more than 1,000 panels a day to meet expected demand.
Another large German solar company is negotiating with the South African inventors for rights to the technology, while a South African consortium of businesses are keen to build local factories.
The new, highly efficient and cheap alloy solar panel is much more efficient than the costly old silicone solar panels.
International experts have admitted that nothing else comes close to the effectiveness of the South African invention.
The South African solar panels consist of a thin layer of a unique metal alloy that converts light into energy. The photo-responsive alloy can operate on virtually all flexible surfaces, which means it could in future find a host of other applications.
Alberts said the new panels are approximately five microns thick (a human hair is 20 microns thick) while the older silicon panels are 350 microns thick. the cost of the South African technology is a fraction of the less effective silicone solar panels.
Alberts said in Switzerland it was already compulsory for all new houses to include solar technology to lessen energy demands on national grids.
"And that was the older, less effective technology. With our hours of sunlight, we will on average generate twice as much energy than, for instance, European countries."
While South African scientists developed and patented the new, super-effective alloy solar panels, other companies have developed new, super-efficient storage batteries and special converters to change the energy into the power source of a particular country (220 volts in South Africa).
Eskom spokesperson Carin de Villiers said any new power supply that lessened the load on Eskom was to be welcomed.
She said Eskom was also doing its own research on solar energy.
"In fact, we are currently investigating building what will probably be the largest solar power plant, in the Northern Cape - a 100-megawatt facility."
She added that Eskom was also researching wind and fuel-cell technology as alternative energy sources.
Source: http://tinyurl.com/ceezt

Anybody else smell cows, or bulls? Yup, they developed this between hanging a gasoline soaked tire around the neck of some poor hardworking bastard and asking the UN for more money.
"Freedom Fighter" wrote in message

One more embarassment for America, which would rather spend its resources on military aggression and world domination than on the solution to global warming and the betterment of humanity! ------------------------------------- South African Solar Research Eclipses Rest Of The World by Willem Steenkamp, February 11 2006
In a scientific breakthrough that has stunned the world, a team of South African scientists has developed a revolutionary new, highly efficient solar power technology that will enable homes to obtain all their electricity from the sun.
This means high electricity bills and frequent power failures could soon be a thing of the past.
The unique South African-developed solar panels will make it possible for houses to become completely self-sufficient for energy supplies.
The panels are able to generate enough energy to run stoves, geysers, lights, TVs, fridges, computers - in short all the mod-cons of the modern house.
The new technology should be available in South Africa within a year and through a special converter, energy can be fed directly into the wiring of existing houses. New powerful storage units will allow energy storage to meet demands even in winter. The panels are so efficient they can operate through a Cape Town winter. While direct sunlight is ideal for high-energy generation, other daytime light also generates energy via the panels.
A team of scientists led by University of Johannesburg (formerly Rand Afrikaans University) scientist Professor Vivian Alberts achieved the breakthrough after 10 years of research. The South African technology has now been patented across the world.
One of the world leaders in solar energy, German company IFE Solar Systems, has invested more than $500-million in the South African invention and is set to manufacture 500,000 of the panels before the end of the year at a new plant in Germany.
Production will start next month and the factory will run 24 hours a day, producing more than 1,000 panels a day to meet expected demand.
Another large German solar company is negotiating with the South African inventors for rights to the technology, while a South African consortium of businesses are keen to build local factories.
The new, highly efficient and cheap alloy solar panel is much more efficient than the costly old silicone solar panels.
International experts have admitted that nothing else comes close to the effectiveness of the South African invention.
The South African solar panels consist of a thin layer of a unique metal alloy that converts light into energy. The photo-responsive alloy can operate on virtually all flexible surfaces, which means it could in future find a host of other applications.
Alberts said the new panels are approximately five microns thick (a human hair is 20 microns thick) while the older silicon panels are 350 microns thick. the cost of the South African technology is a fraction of the less effective silicone solar panels.
Alberts said in Switzerland it was already compulsory for all new houses to include solar technology to lessen energy demands on national grids.
"And that was the older, less effective technology. With our hours of sunlight, we will on average generate twice as much energy than, for instance, European countries."
While South African scientists developed and patented the new, super-effective alloy solar panels, other companies have developed new, super-efficient storage batteries and special converters to change the energy into the power source of a particular country (220 volts in South Africa).
Eskom spokesperson Carin de Villiers said any new power supply that lessened the load on Eskom was to be welcomed.
She said Eskom was also doing its own research on solar energy.
"In fact, we are currently investigating building what will probably be the largest solar power plant, in the Northern Cape - a 100-megawatt facility."
She added that Eskom was also researching wind and fuel-cell technology as alternative energy sources.
Source: http://tinyurl.com/ceezt

So why don't they use PV-grade silicone in the breast implants of Hollywood starlets? The beaches there are loaded with them. Could make a big dent in California's chronic power shortages.
Gordon Richmond

SQLit wrote:

Lets see South Africa and no mention of a/c.

not much a/c out there, the average consumption per household is 50w.

I noticed in your post you fail to mention the cost of this "new technology". Or should I hold my breath until it is available.

nor its efficiency, kind of a key omission. Nor what the new battery technology is, where it came from, or anything else about it.
But more oddly, also no address of where to send first purchase money or investment money.
NT

In article , "Roy. Just Roy." wrote:

That reminds me. The Sunballs were supposed to start shipping this month. Has anyone reading taken delivery yet? ;-)
Well, production was supposed to be funded by the Minister of Finance in Nigeria - unfortunately his untimely death has left the sum of $500 million US trapped in a Swiss bank without a means to transfer the money to South Africa. All they need is your bank account number to route the money through, and they can start funding the new technology immediately ...
/Roy

There is a strike in the balonium mines, and the unobtanium supply has too many impurities.

In article , "Freedom Fighter" wrote:

The panels are able to generate enough energy to run stoves, geysers, lights, TVs, fridges, computers - in short all the mod-cons of the modern house.

Oh yea, I really like the "Geysers" thing...just what every one needs in their Solar Powered backyard....a Solar Powered geyser.......
Me maybe SolarFart should invest.....it could make him millions...

"Roy. Just Roy." wrote in message

That reminds me. The Sunballs were supposed to start shipping this month. Has anyone reading taken delivery yet? ;-)
Well, production was supposed to be funded by the Minister of Finance in Nigeria - unfortunately his untimely death has left the sum of $500 million US trapped in a Swiss bank without a means to transfer the money to South Africa. All they need is your bank account number to route the money through, and they can start funding the new technology immediately ...
Bugger, I knew there was something I had to do!

-- Malc
"Ah, that did it. Spare brain in action, I'm ready to go again!"

On 17 Feb 2006 15:24:07 -0800, "Roy. Just Roy." wrote:

That reminds me. The Sunballs were supposed to start shipping this month. Has anyone reading taken delivery yet? ;-)
Well, production was supposed to be funded by the Minister of Finance in Nigeria - unfortunately his untimely death has left the sum of $500 million US trapped in a Swiss bank without a means to transfer the money to South Africa. All they need is your bank account number to route the money through, and they can start funding the new technology immediately ...
/Roy

I just read up a little on Sunball's progress. No Nigerians in view, but the sphere shape appears to have been abandoned http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sunball/message/861, and the new plan is to make the units cube-shaped instead. Apparently there's sufficient slack in the production schedule to reinvent the product without causing any delivery delays. Oddly enough though, there hasn't been time to overhaul the web site. IMO, prospective purchasers should hold out for the SunDodecahedron. :-)
Wayne

Me wrote:

In article ywrJf.415946$qk4.302623@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>, "Freedom Fighter" wrote:
The panels are able to generate enough energy to run stoves, geysers, lights, TVs, fridges, computers - in short all the mod-cons of the modern house.
Oh yea, I really like the "Geysers" thing...just what every one needs in their Solar Powered backyard....a Solar Powered geyser.......

No, that part is genuine. Google "Electric geyser". I _think_ it's just a water heater. You really need to expand your horizons, Flare. -- derek