[amsat-bb] HIgh efficiency solar cells for cubesats

[Robert Bruninga]

Follow the link.  That is why I made the slide, so you can see the price,
the efficiency and the change over time all in one slide…  But It turns out
the $500 cells are only 28% efficient, to get to 40% is only in the lab at
the leading edge of solar research.  So I just updated the chart.    Bob



*From:* dougphelps at ameritech.net [mailto:dougphelps at ameritech.net]
*Sent:* Wednesday, August 31, 2016 2:22 PM
*To:* Robert Bruninga; amsat-bb
*Subject:* Re: [amsat-bb] HIgh efficiency solar cells for cubesats



What is the efficiency of a $500 space solar panel versus the efficiency of
a home solar panel?

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On Wed, Aug 31, 2016 at 12:04 PM, Robert Bruninga

<bruninga at usna.edu> wrote:

We just bought some high efficiency solar cells for our cubesat at $500 per
watt.

For what it is worth, that is 1600 times more expensive than home solar
panels now down to 30 cents a watt.  So I plotted it:

http://aprs.org/Energy/solar/Cost-of-efficiency.png



It is interesting that we hear so much about solar getting cheaper, but in
fact, the high end only gets more expensive.  That is why those people who
say “I’m waiting for higher efficiency” will never see it be cost
effective.  The space industry will always pay much,much more for just a
factor of two increase, whereas the homeowner will only ever pay the
cheapest.  And cheap it is!



Solar power is now cheaper than a custom glass window of the same size.
The cost of the solar cells is only 10% of the typical home installation
(recently seen as low as $2.70/watt contractor price in PA).



Bob, WB4APR
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