Boeing release of solar

Boeing Co., the world’s largest aerospace company, plans to deliver its first commercial scale high-efficiency solar-power cells for Earth-based electricity production in January.

The concentrating photovoltaic cells, developed by Boeing’s Spectrolab unit for satellites and the International Space Station, can convert as much as 39.2 percent of sunlight into electricity, Chicago-based Boeing said today in a statement.

Spectrolab, which says its solar panels supply power for 60 percent of the satellites orbiting Earth, plans to boost output of the higher-efficiency cells for land-based production. Efficiency may average 40 percent next year as improvements are made during production, Boeing said.

The cells are made from single-crystal germanium substrates, said Russ Jones, a Spectrolab business development director. The company will produce as many as 10 million of the cells next year, depending on demand. He would not discuss production costs.

The top polysilicon-based solar panels manufactured by SunPower Corp., based in San Jose, California, can convert a maximum of 22 percent of the sun’s rays into electricity. In June, a SunPower solar cell reached a 24.2 percent conversion efficiency, the record for large silicon wafers.

To contact the reporter on this story: Christopher Martin in New York at cmartin11@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Reed Landberg at landberg@bloomberg.net.

Comments

  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    Re: Boeing release of solar

    I'm waiting to hear what the pricing will be. No one that I'm dealing with has any idea other than High.

    It is good to see the efficiency go up though.
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Boeing release of solar
    concentrating photovoltaic cells
    They may need daily washing or dusting, as 2% dirt will be maganified to 20% !
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

  • boB
    boB Solar Expert Posts: 1,030 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Boeing release of solar

    I think I saw these in LA recently at SPI, but it may have been somebody else.
    They look very much alike from the pix.

    Concentrating PV gets them VERY hot ! For this reason, I would
    ask what the warranty is. They say they can operate up to
    180C but not sure what high heat does to their degradation.

    I'm not sure if they know themselves, yet.

    boB
  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,731 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: Boeing release of solar
    boB wrote: »
    I think I saw these in LA recently at SPI, but it may have been somebody else.
    They look very much alike from the pix.

    Concentrating PV gets them VERY hot ! For this reason, I would
    ask what the warranty is. They say they can operate up to
    180C but not sure what high heat does to their degradation.

    I'm not sure if they know themselves, yet.

    boB

    Did the one you saw track also?

    Spectrolab knows about alot higher than 180C ! Whether they can do it at commercial prices is my question. In space the warranty is really about doing all you can to not be the company that killed the satelliite. They know as I never hear their name in the failure I am allowed to see.

    Boeing um USAF is launching the largest Delta heavy lift rocket after new years down at Vandenberg. The only one bigger was the last Saturn 5. Should be very cool if the sky is clear on the west coast.
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • boB
    boB Solar Expert Posts: 1,030 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: Boeing release of solar

    I don't think that these modules are the exact same kind used in space.

    The specs said 180C max I "think".... Go to the site and see if what these
    modules are. Maybe I read it wrong.

    These are concentrators (so it says) so they would have to be hot.
    Normally, hot is not good for PV as far as longevity goes.

    Whatever I saw at SPI just looked similar to these and were tracking.

    Of course, concentrator PV modules must be tracking in order to work.

    boB