Nanosolar begins shipping thin-film solar cells

by Brad Linder
Dec 18th 2007 @ 11:32AM

Filed under: Alternative Energy

In some ways, nothing is cheaper than solar energy. After all, it falls from the sky and anyone can collect it. Solar panels that convert sunlight into electricity, on the other hand can be kind of pricey. So of course, a lot of companies are sinking a ton of money into figuring out how to make cheaper solar cells.

California-based Nanosolar today begins shipping printed thin-film solar cells after 5 years of development. OK, but what the heck does that mean? Essentially, Nanosolar has developed a way to "print" solar cells by painting CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium Selenide) ink onto the back of flexible material.

The printed panels work as semiconductors and have two benefits:

1. They're flexible, which means you can install them in unusual places
2. They're much cheaper to produce than traditional solar panels, at just $.99 per watt.

Nanosolar's first commercially produced panels are on their way to Germany for deployment at a power plant.

[via VentureBeat]

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