murray@jumbo.dec.com (Hal Murray) (02/17/89)
There is an interesting article in the latest Scientific American describing a GM/Hughs/AeroVironment solar powered car that won the race across Australia. They used GaAs solar cells to get another 20 or 30% more energy relative to silicon. Anybody know what the rough costs are? Where does amorphous silicon fit on the cost/efficiency chart? The article also discusses batteries a lot. Silver-zinc has 4 times the energy density of lead-acid. Anybody know how NiCads compare with sealed lead gell cells in energy density (or price)?
cook@stout.ucar.edu (Forrest Cook) (02/18/89)
In article <13582@jumbo.dec.com> murray@jumbo.dec.com (Hal Murray) writes: >.. GM/Hughs/AeroVironment solar powered car that won the race across Australia. >They used GaAs solar cells to get another 20 or 30% more energy relative >to silicon. Anybody know what the rough costs are? Where does amorphous >silicon fit on the cost/efficiency chart? I had an opportunity to talk to Paul McCrearty last summer after one of his lectures. He is the main brain behind this vehicle and is also known for having designined a human powered aircraft. He told me that the car used several months worth of the entire world's supply of GaAs solar cells and that they were donated by one of the Car's sponsors. I think it was GM, correct me if this is wrong. The prices are probably very high at the present time. ^ ^ Forrest Cook (Opinions, Boy, Those were just Opinions) /|\ /|\ cook@stout.ucar.edu (Foghorn Leghorn) /|\ /|\ {husc6|rutgers|ames|gatech}!ncar!stout!cook /|\ /|\ {uunet|ucbvax|allegra|cbosgd}!nbires!ncar!stout!cook