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A comment on Solar Industry's Future Lies in Lightweight Technology. Parent comment

Re:Solar Industry's Future Lies in Lightweight Technology by yazr on Sunday December 02, 2018 @04:39PM (#18584721)
Are these the space-grade multi-junction panels? Are the Loon panels size-constrained or cost-constrained ?

The article itself is odd - most PV will go to utility and commercial scale. Even on rooftop, aesthetics are possibly down the list after durability, reliability, efficiency and cost.

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Re:Solar Industry's Future Lies in Lightweight Technology by walrus01 on Sunday December 02, 2018 @07:44PM (#18585555)
From the photos I've seen, no, they are not using triple junction GaAs cells. Boeing/spectrolab cells are incredibly expensive. They used high efficiency 156mm monocrystalline silicon cells. Just not in a glass + aluminum frame like you'd see on a roof.

edit: at least in 2013 they were using thin film amorphous silicon, or what appears to be CdTe thin film flexible, not rigid cells encapsulated in clear lightweight membrane.

https://www.wired.com/images_blogs/business/2013/06/20130609...

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