After five years of product development – including aggressively pipelined science, research and development, manufacturing process development, product testing, manufacturing engineering and tool development, and factory construction – we now have shipped first product and received our first check of product revenue.

We are grateful to everyone who supported us through all these years and the many occasions where there appeared to be mile-high concrete walls in our path; the unusual intensity and creativity of our team deserves all the credit for achieving this major milestone today.

Our product is defining in more ways I can enumerate here but includes:

- the world’s first printed thin-film solar cell in a commercial panel product;

- the world’s first thin-film solar cell with a low-cost back-contact capability;

- the world’s lowest-cost solar panel – which we believe will make us the first solar manufacturer capable of profitably selling solar panels at as little as $.99/Watt;

- the world’s highest-current thin-film solar panel – delivering five times the current of any other thin-film panel on the market today and thus simplifying system deployment;

- an intensely systems-optimized product with the lowest balance-of-system cost of any thin-film panel – due to innovations in design we have included.

Today we are announcing that we have begun shipping panels for freefield deployment in Eastern Germany and that the first Megawatt of our panels will go into a power plant installation there.

As far as the first three of our commercial panels are concerned:

Panel #1 will remain at Nanosolar for exhibit.

Panel #2 can be purchased by you in an auction on eBay starting today.

Panel #3 has been donated to the Tech Museum in San Jose.

[These are obviously not the first three we ever produced – we have produced loads for testing – but these are the first three of what we consider our commercial panels.]

Related Info: Nanosolar Shipping for Megawatt Municipal Power Plant

Our eBay auction started at 99 cents and quickly reached more than $13,000.00, with still more than 6 days left. When we saw this, we decided it would be appropriate to use the proceeds after the auction for a charitable purpose.  We regret that without warning eBay today decided to delete our auction due to the promised charitable use of the proceeds.  Our Director of Legal spent much of this afternoon on the phone with eBay trying to reinstate the auction — we suspect the eBay rep who cancelled it must have misread their policies geared towards charities (we are not!) — but without success.  Upon review we decided this isn’t a battle we care to fight more than an afternoon, so it’s back to building cells and panels for us.  In other words, Panel #2 will stay at Nanosolar for now (no auction); thank you to everyone for participating in our auction; and most importantly: HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

http://blog.nanosolar.com/

http://www.nanosolar.com/

http://www.nanosolar.com/cache/CNNvideo.wmv

nano technology is the rage these days, the nigerian government should look into this.

I have been watching development in the nano technology field and this information is especially for those who continue to claim that Solar energy can not do it for all of Nigeria, let alone the whole of Africa. Now imagine a local Nigerian company investing in this technology and basically taking it upon itself to supply people in the area with electricity using solar panels such as these at this very low cost?? I mean the cost alone to power generators and maintain them can not be compared to this at all. I believe instead of making us more bogus promises, the government could look into this new tech to help the people if it really is in that business.

but i am guessing this will just be for home use. It does not really give information on the dimensions of these panels. Solar power has to come a reasonable way before it is used as the only source in a house. most people use passive solar because i am not sure it can carry everything in a house at thesame time.

Sky Blue:

but i am guessing this will just be for home use. It does not really give information on the dimensions of these panels. Solar power has to come a reasonable way before it is used as the only source in a house. most people use passive solar because i am not sure it can carry everything in a house at thesame time.

This is not for home use only at all. Fedex currently runs it's Oakland california center, one of the largest in the world using Solar energy. Solar can power factories and even airports. It is not just for home use at all. If you watched the video at the link up there, you will see that the idea NanoSolar has is to basically make it more available to people who are not currently able to purchase the panels that are mounted on expensive frames right now. Basically you can now buy the solar foil and lay it on your roof and it can power from a small house or even a small radio to a large apartment complex at about 99 cents per watt.

Already there are company projects out there to buy out african deserts and use it to build solar farms to generate energy for europe and other parts of the world. We have a desert, we have more solar hours per day than most countries can boast of. We have terrible environment right now considering the noise, ground and air pollution from all the generators we run and the oil we use to run them in that country now. We do not have much to change, we do not have a functional power system in place anyways, so this might be a great idea for Nigeria if we are able to sit and think about it.

I am one of the many who believe that the cost of a non-grid solar system is still high for
an average Nigerian consumer.
But with this new technology and at $1/watt, I may have to change my opinion

I have some questions though
1. How efficient is this new technology? The present silicon panels operate at about 40%
2. I understand the nanosolar panels are made from gallium and selenide. On the long run, how will
    their costs compare to the panels made from silicon (sand)

Silicon or CIGS. In the solar world, them's fightin' words.

The booming solar industry is in the midst of an argument over which material will become dominant in the future for harvesting sunlight and turning it into electricity. Solar panels made from crystalline silicon currently account for more than 90 percent of the solar infrastructure today.

Unfortunately, silicon panels remain relatively expensive to make. Without subsidies, it's still cheaper to get electricity from the grid. A two-year shortage of polysilicon, which may not ease until 2008, has severely limited growth and sales.

Panels that harvest energy with CIGS (copper indium gallium selenide) cost far less to make and install, say backers. The material can be sprayed onto foil, plastic or glass or incorporated into cement and other building materials. Conceivably, the entire exterior of a house or building could become a solar generator.



CIGS also doesn't degrade in sunlight like other thin-film technologies.

"The smartest investors are going short on silicon and long on thin film, especially CIGS," said Martin Roscheisen, CEO of Nanosolar, a start-up that has received $100 million in venture funds to build a plant capable of producing 430 megawatts-worth of CIGS panels.

"The semiconductor is 100 times thinner. We combine low-cost materials with low-cost processes. The expenses on silicon are extremely high."

A huge vote of confidence in CIGS came earlier this year when Shell, one of the largest solar companies in the world, sold its silicon solar business to focus on developing CIGS.

So if CIGS is so good, why isn't there more of it out there? Mind share.

Silicon has become one of the most studied materials ever discovered, and advances in reducing processing time and manufacturing that were discovered in the semiconductor world rebound directly to silicon solar-cell manufacturers. Other alternatives--solar thermal energy, photovoltaic dyes--have failed to undercut it in functionality and cost.

"Silicon has a reliability record which is unmatched by any other material," said T.J. Rodgers, CEO of Cypress Semiconductor, which is the primary stockholder in the fast-growing silicon panel maker SunPower.

"They could rename the company NanoDollar, because that's all they are going to be left with after we get done kicking their butt," Rodgers said referring to Nanosolar.


"The smartest investors are going short on silicon and long on thin film, especially CIGS."
--Martin Roscheisen, CEO of Nanosolar
He's got a point. Back in the early 1990s, CIGS was emerging as an alternative to silicon, but the declining price of silicon snuffed out the movement.

"The three most studied materials in history are steel, cement and silicon, so they have a leg up on us there," acknowledged B.J. Stanberry, CEO of CIGS developer HelioVolt. "I'd say you're a fool if you predicted the imminent death of silicon. But their inability to deliver is creating an opportunity for thin film, and CIGS will have a significant portion of the market within 10 years."

With demand cranking up to an all-time high for solar technology, the two types of panels will likely co-exist for years--especially considering the miniscule role solar plays now in generating electricity, according to various estimates, and that demand is expected to double by 2025. Solar accounts for less than 0.10 percent of the current total.

Nonetheless, growing momentum for one technology among researchers, equipment makers and, ultimately, customers could pave the way for one to become dominant over the other.

Similar debates weighing promise against pragmatism have occurred in chipmaking. Gallium, indium and germanium have also been used to produce superfast semiconductors, but the higher costs associated with these materials have kept them toward the margins in the market.

Silicon hits and misses

Silicon, even its adherents admit, is not ideal. Theoretically, silicon is capable of converting 29 percent of the sunlight that strikes it into electricity, according to Dick Swanson, a former Stanford professor who founded SunPower.

"That imagines a cell that is perfect in every possible way. That would be without any energy losses or leaks other than those demanded by the physics of silicon," Swanson said. "The practical limit, most say it is around 25 percent to 26 percent."

SunPower already sells panels that convert an average of 20 percent of the sunlight into electricity and will come out later this year with panels that will convert 22 percent. The high efficiency is due to the design of the company's panels. SunPower puts the electrical contacts at the back (or bottom) of the panel to increase surface area. The silicon also sits atop a reflective layer: Photos that would otherwise pass through the panel entirely are bounced back into it and effectively recycled.

Most other solar makers sit at 15 percent to 18 percent efficiency. Still, a physical limit is a physical limit and silicon makers acknowledge they are approaching a barrier. Additional layers made of different materials could be added to silicon panels to harvest more energy, but that adds to the cost.

Progress in the industry instead revolves around reducing the cost of the panels. So far, it's working. SunPower, among others, has figured out ways to automate many factory procedures. It also builds factories in the Philippines, where labor remains cheap. Panels are also getting thinner, which reduces the material needed and increases efficiency.


"Silicon has a reliability record which is unmatched by any other material."
--T.J. Rodgers, CEO of Cypress Semiconductor


Right now, it takes about nine to 10 years for the cost of a solar installation to pay for itself--meaning the cost equals the amount you would have paid the power company in electric bills. In five years, silicon makers claim they can cut that time in half.

And as an added bonus, solar panels aren't as ugly as they used to be. PowerLight has come out with roof tiles with embedded silicon solar panels, which get installed when a house is built. A complete system can run around $8,000 to $13,000, according to Grupe Homes, which has included PowerLight panels in some homes in a few relatively new developments.


culled from http://business2-cnet.com.com/Silicon+vs.+CIGS+With+solar+energy,+the+issue+is+material/2100-1008_3-6121488.html

Other Solar Companies to watch .


http://www.solopower.com/about/news/doe_backs_photovoltaic_start_ups_with.html

http://www.solyndra.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliovolt

http://www.heliovolt.net/

http://www.miasole.com/company/overview.html


There is also a South African based company in the race to be number one in inexpensive solar cells manufacturer.

bawomolo:

nano technology is the rage these days, the nigerian government should look into this.

If you wait for the Nigeria govt, then you will wait for ever.
whoever has an interest in the technology should form a company and go into it. you don't even have to sell it in Nigeria. There is a word called globalisation, no boundaries, so dream and live your dream and forget Nigeria govt.

I believe this will definitely benefit the average Nigerian especially those who are not able to afford generator technology. The new technology will go a long way in helping bring things up for many if people are willing to actually change and embrace new ideas and ways in this area, rather than sit with arm's folded, waiting for Government to bring them salvation from current situation.

What is the efficiency rates of these new solar panels?

Thin Film Solar Power - Cheaper than Coal ?

Thin film solar company Nanosolar has now shipped its first solar panels and begun an auction for the second panel produced - now cancelled by eBay because Nanosolar decided to donate the purchase price to charity (the third pnael has been donated to the Tech Museum in San Jose, california), leading to speculation that the (direct) cost of solar power is now cheaper than coal (and falling).

While it is still too early to tell whether or not Nanoslar can meet their goal of producing cells at $1 per watt, the fact that the company has constructed a manufacturing plant and begun shipping the product to a paying customer (in Germany) is a good sign.





The first plant is reportedly capable of producing 430 megawatts a year of cells, which is a respectable amount compared to the total amount of photovoltaic manufacturing capacity currently in place.

Nanosolar's cells are made of Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS). They aren't the only company working in this area - competitors include Heliovolt and the struggling Miasole. Other thin film solar manufacturers are working with materials like Amorphous Silicon (a-Si) - for example Power Film, XSunX and United Solar Ovonic - or Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) - for example First Solar. Konarka also sell "power plastic" (soon to be marketed in Australia by Skyshades) using "Graetzel cells" based on a thin coating of ruthenium and organic bipyridine molecules over a titanium substrate.

One potential issue to watch as manufacturing volumes are scaled up is the availability of the various materials that make up thin film cells.

Availability and price of Tellurium are already concern to analysts of First Solar, though there is speculation that copious amounts of Tellurium can be mined from deep sea ridges.

There appear to be similar concerns about availability of indium in particular (and to a lesser extent gallium) for CIGS cells, though as usual concrete data on total reserves for these seems to be in short supply as well.

[b]Nanosolar's technology is reportedly capable of achieving higher efficiency rates (up to 19.5%) than are achieved with other thin-film technologies. However, these efficiency rates have only been seen under laboratory conditions so far. Mass produced CIGS solar cells usually have efficiency rates of 12%-15% – making them about half as efficient as their silicon PV counterparts.[/b]Labels: cigs, nanosolar, thin film solar


http://peakenergy..com/2008/01/thin-film-solar-power-cheaper-than-coal.html

culled from http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/board/eworld/45218-alternative-energy-solar-power.html


Well I think it is time we get to planning a positive blue print for solving energy crisis in Nigeria.

While I cannot readily do anything physical, I can take this opportunity made available by the Good Folks of NVSq to get started on a repository of information that will help inspire and inform those on the ground who can make a difference.

Let us start with the Basic Myths and Facts about Solar Power.

Myth: Solar energy systems are unreliable.

Fact: Solar electric systems have been tested to rigorous standards by public and private organizations in developed and developing countries. Solar panels suffer very little degradation over time and are generally rated to last up to 25 to 30 years. A solar energy system will have nearly the same output in year 25 as it did on day 1.

Myth: Solar energy systems are unattractive.

Fact: New advances in solar technology and roof-mounted systems have created more stylish systems that blend into their surroundings. Some systems are nearly invisible and can replace traditional building materials such as roof shingles and window awnings.


Myth: Solar energy systems are difficult to maintain.

Fact: Solar panels require very little maintenance, and because of their slick surface and the slope at which they are typically mounted, they require virtually no cleaning.

Myth: Solar is too expensive.

Fact: Solar energy systems have decreased greatly in price over the past 15 years. For instance in the US, with generous state rebates and federal tax write offs, the actual cost a builder faces can be as low as 40%–50% of the solar system’s retail price. Homeowners will also see an increase in home values and a positive annual net cash flow from a higher mortgage payment offset by lower utility bills.

hi yes its good to have an alternative source of power
but wait first there are different type of people here some who want to sell some want to buy and some want to know
while some know . the victim here is the buyer no matter what to a mother monkey her kid is "bella"
to tell you first solar energy is not an alternative power in the twenty first century my be 23rd century
the solar panels on the satellite is bigger than the physical area yet its mission beyond the orbit is not solar powered!
japan is most advanced in technology yet the solar powered car engine is a little bigger than "maruwa" but also needs to be plunged into nepa at night
tell any one who is providing power from solar to u to to justify your investment in his business by not connecting any cable to nepa
don't u see hat all thy succeed in telling u is boil water on lamps and watch tv leisure and pleasure for 250k at 120watts
common an inverter will justify your investment in Lagos were u need returns on your money not in guinea were the are struggling for amenities amids hash
weather please solar solutions are for critical services where every other is available i can tell u that an inverter system worth 250k will serve a system of 120watts continuously for 3.3 days without charge while the solar system can not provide power beyond 12hrs they will tell u that while charging don't use !!!! pls the solar solution has a function note if the tell u its an alternative tell the then don't plug to nepa or generator for investment justification
don't be riped off i will not mind to give a free brief for what u want if u need more on all i have said signify by a post --makunmi

makunmi:

hi yes its good to have an alternative source of power
but wait first there are different type of people here some who want to sell some want to buy and some want to know
while some know . the victim here is the buyer no matter what to a mother monkey her kid is "bella"
to tell you first solar energy is not an alternative power in the twenty first century my be 23rd century
the solar panels on the satellite is bigger than the physical area yet its mission beyond the orbit is not solar powered!
japan is most advanced in technology yet the solar powered car engine is a little bigger than "maruwa" but also needs to be plunged into nepa at night
tell any one who is providing power from solar to u to to justify your investment in his business by not connecting any cable to nepa
don't u see hat all thy succeed in telling u is boil water on lamps and watch tv leisure and pleasure for 250k at 120watts
common an inverter will justify your investment in Lagos were u need returns on your money not in guinea were the are struggling for amenities amids hash
weather please solar solutions are for critical services where every other is available i can tell u that an inverter system worth 250k will serve a system of 120watts continuously for 3.3 days without charge while the solar system can not provide power beyond 12hrs they will tell u that while charging don't use !!!! please the solar solution has a function note if the tell u its an alternative tell the then don't plug to nepa or generator for investment justification
don't be riped off i will not mind to give a free brief for what u want if u need more on all i have said signify by a post --makunmi

I have no idea what you typed up there but I suggest you get yourself educated on what solar energy is and how it is used.

thanks for your advice first if u did not understand me you would not request for my upgrade of knowledge

i suppose u are using solar power right now because if u are not i suggest you buy one ,rely on it for 4 months without nepa the justify the investment

for a general information i have a set of three panels from nestel France so i know what i say

1 - look at where you mentioned Germany , 2- the are the first of its kind 3 they are limited 4 - lastly approx 1doller/ watt 500watt = $500 =N60k

8hrs of solar flir aprox 60% of solar flair in Lagos = approx 5hr .recommended charging time for Gaston batteries 10-14hrs and so on pls this is Niger (9ja)

Niraland talk of a solution that is accessible and available .i am not saying solar is not useful but not for bussness i will suget a better way of educating our

selves is with facts and figurs pls Do agood write up on your facts and i will reply for the benefit of all so that we can get value for our mony and not be

victims of marketing thank you -makunmi

makunmi:

thanks for your advice first if u did not understand me you would not request for my upgrade of knowledge

i suppose u are using solar power right now because if u are not i suggest you buy one ,rely on it for 4 months without nepa the justify the investment

for a general information i have a set of three panels from nestel France so i know what i say

1 - look at where you mentioned Germany , 2- the are the first of its kind 3 they are limited 4 - lastly approx 1doller/ watt 500watt = $500 =N60k

8hrs of solar flir aprox 60% of solar flair in Lagos = approx 5hr .recommended charging time for Gaston batteries 10-14hrs and so on please this is Niger (Nigeria)

Niraland talk of a solution that is accessible and available .i am not saying solar is not useful but not for bussness i will suget a better way of educating our

selves is with facts and figurs please Do agood write up on your facts and i will reply for the benefit of all so that we can get value for our mony and not be

victims of marketing thank you -makunmi

I believe you do not understand what investing in solar is about if you are telling me that after 4 months you decided to see if you have recouped cost.

1) Solar power is not for people who are not willing to invest in their long term futures at all. If you are one of those who like to see returns as soon as you buy into it, then I would suggest you completely stay away from solar energy or any other EcoFriendly technology out there cause it is not for you.

2) When you buy 500Watt Panels and you have about 12 hours of solar energy a day in a place like Lagos, regardless of flairs, you still get solar energy coming at you, with which you get your battery charged and ready for reuse, it is not for just the day but returns come back to you over periods. Expecting instant charging of batteries is another reason why I would suggest people who are not willing to invest in their future stay away from this and stick to waiting on Nepa instead.

3)Germany does not get as much solar energy per day as Lagos nigeria does, flairs or not.

4) First of what kind ?? What in the world are you speaking of??

5) There are thousands of businesses around the world right now using solar energy on a large scale for their factories, and assembly line works. If they are not complaining and actually encouraging other businesses to buy into the solar idea from their own success, why in the world do you think your claim that solar is not good for business is even close to valid?? What makes solar bad for businesses if Fedex runs it's Oakland california Headquarters using Solar energy?? Are you sure you have this all figured out or you are just going off with hear say??


6) Considering that last year alone Nigerians ( not including government and mostly excluding businesses) spent over 152 Million dollars on NON-RENEWABLE sources such as diesel energy consumption, what is wrong with encouraging people to spend that money once and for all on Solar panels ($500) for energy that will last them 10 to 20 years?? Do you think that if you spend $500 on an item and that item lasts even 5 years, that is not money well spent Even computers barely last that long yet people invest in it. Are you saying Solar energy is not worth it even considering the circumstances down in Nigeria??

Good work mr kobojunkie, I made admit you have really done a lot of researches on this subject and it gladdens my heart that there are still Nigerians Out there who are really working on solving the power problem back home.
I believe that with nanotechnolgy, it is going to become easier to begin the design and implementation of off grid alternative power scheme in the country. Because of the problems of insufficient grid power, we are yet to start talking about the quality of power supply in the country and at such to immediately contemplate a grid-tied systems would be disastrous.
Please keep up the good work, I personally will implore you to inform us of ways in which individuals, small, medium or big corporate firms can be involved with this scheme, so that it won't take 50 years after the technology had been used and jettisoned before one politician will now begin to brand it as a solution to the power problem in an attempt to siphon taxpayers money.
I QUITE AGREE WITH YOU THAT THE SOLAR RESOURCES IN THE COUNTRY FAR EXCEEDS THAT OF THE DEVELOPED NATION WHERE SOLAR ELECTRICITY IS BEING DEPLOYED. If Solar panel can be manufactured for third world countries to easily purchase, then more than half of the problem is solved. The other important component for a PV system is the inverter, which locally designed inverters can improvise for.
The liberalization of the power sector will definitely make money for any wise investor with the right solution in that sector, my submission is that we have discussed the problems long enough, let;s begin to roll out our solutions. Electrical engineers, technicians, craftmens, investors,etc it is time to wake up!

makunmi:

hi yes its good to have an alternative source of power
but wait first there are different type of people here some who want to sell some want to buy and some want to know
while some know . the victim here is the buyer no matter what to a mother monkey her kid is "bella"
to tell you first solar energy is not an alternative power in the twenty first century my be 23rd century
the solar panels on the satellite is bigger than the physical area yet its mission beyond the orbit is not solar powered!
japan is most advanced in technology yet the solar powered car engine is a little bigger than "maruwa" but also needs to be plunged into nepa at night
tell any one who is providing power from solar to u to to justify your investment in his business by not connecting any cable to nepa
don't u see hat all thy succeed in telling u is boil water on lamps and watch tv leisure and pleasure for 250k at 120watts
common an inverter will justify your investment in Lagos were u need returns on your money not in guinea were the are struggling for amenities amids hash
weather please solar solutions are for critical services where every other is available i can tell u that an inverter system worth 250k will serve a system of 120watts continuously for 3.3 days without charge while the solar system can not provide power beyond 12hrs they will tell u that while charging don't use !!!! please the solar solution has a function note if the tell u its an alternative tell the then don't plug to nepa or generator for investment justification
don't be riped off i will not mind to give a free brief for what u want if u need more on all i have said signify by a post --makunmi

Thanks a lot Makunmi.

The buyer remains the victim here. Solar technology is not ripe for use as an alternative to PHCN in Nigeria.

No house or office in Nigeria can run on solar energy cost effectively.

Only government or world bodies use solar energy and they use it for basic things like keeping drugs in controlled temperatures.

The internet is a great place to search for information but again only relevant and factual information will make sense as regards actual implementation.

Nanosolar cannot even tell you today when they will be shipping another batch neither will they tell you when they will be selling to end users whether for home or office.

These people claim they are focusing on power plants for now and someone is looking for Nigerians to invest now. Maybe the poster needs to invest in the technology if he believes in it so much.

In the area of power, there is usually a disconnect between promises and actual performance.

Over 60% of people I know that have used inverters are not happy because they are not getting what they bargained for simply because the service providers/dealers/sellers of inverters kept telling people what they wanted to hear as against what they should hear which is basically honest professional advice on alternative technology.

I am waiting for the first Nigerian to cost effectively use solar panel to power his/her home or office.

When is the nanosolar hitting the market. Also i once saw a solar charges laptops does anyone have for sale

Nanosolar is already available in various markets. Solar has been in use for decades now for charging and providing electricity in many regions of the world. I know there is a guy on here who says he is in Chicago that sells Solar panels. I was just discussing with him some weeks ago on how great Solar panels are well adapted to the climate in Nigeria. Check it out. https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-118420.0.html . He can best explain to you if he can get his hands on Nanosolar and how much you may need for just powering a laptop.

it wld help if u guys keep our postings brief and precise, most of us dont have the time to read all you post.though am interested in the topic but cant afford to browse through all top extract what i need.
thanx y'all

.

[size=15pt]forget nepa or phcn use this product
[/size]