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More Efficient, Lower Impact Solar Panels Developed 6-20-08
Massachusetts-based Evergreen Solar has announced a new line of high efficiency solar panels this month.
Called the ES-A Series, the 200, 205 and 210 W solar panels are made with Evergreen's proprietary "String Ribbon" technology. Inside the company's custom furnaces, a set of special parallel strings are pulled through a molten pool of silicon. A thin "ribbon" forms between strings as the silicon cools. The ribbon is then cut into wafers, which are fashioned into solar cells.
According to Evergreen, the carbon footprint of these new panels is up to 50% smaller than those of competitors, and they have a quicker energy payback -- reportedly as fast as 12 months for installed panels. This last point is particularly exciting, since the amount of energy required to make solar panels has long been a bone of contention among critics of the technology.
Back in the late 90s, energy paybacks for solar panels were as high as seven years. Today, they are often reported as "1-5 years."
Evergreen says it will begin production of its new panels by July. They will be built in its new manufacturing plant in Devens, Massachusetts, where the workforce has reportedly swelled from 300 to 1,000.
The company says its final products will include longer cables for easier installation, new clickable connectors and a new low voltage configuration for greater flexibility.
Comment:
These are the same solar panels shown on Discovery Eco -Tech. They were not supposed to be available until 2010. I am so glad they are ahead!