Y 2017 Solar: Post 1
This is my first post on solar in 2017. Since my last 2016 posting – it’s now April 2017. Major changes have occurred in many places of the earth– and global environment has changed too. As for now, USA is steered by new leadership guided by different sets of standards. According to current USA administration, GHG emission trend and 2015 Int. Paris Climate Accord is a hoax. Contrary to this policy, country like China fixated on fixing it’s pollution level down to half of current level by double down renewable energy production. In northern hemisphere, we just experienced a very peculiar winter season with T ranging mostly in 30 (F), along with frequent tornedo alerts, and of course all mid USA states have received enough rain as blessings – that’s good for agro products for Y 2017 for sure.

Mean while, the electric car company TESLA’s name echoed better in connection with solar scopes. Tesla’s CEO’s vision is simple. Convert ubiquitous solar energy to electric charge for free and store in TESLA’s new products for off time use. TESLA introduces new products in the market, merged and foster partnership with SolarCity and introduces two utility installation projects that are in work—one in southern CA and the other planned on the island of Kauai in Hawaii of USA. In two parts posting I would like to revisit all solar new products and initiatives primarily from Tesla and else .

TESLA and Solar City the two company merges, and the combined companies intend to work with Panasonic at Solar City’s solar factory under construction in Buffalo, NY. Panasonic primarily will make battery cells for cars and buildings, TESLA will do everything on the battery cell other than the cell production level. This is the expectation for the Buffalo NY as it was for Reno, NV TESLA’s Giga factory. it will integrate SolarCity’s Silevo solar cell technology (SolarCity obtained the technology several years ago). At NY, Buffalo the merged company will create a version of the solar cell using the best techniques from each company. The company’s merged in order to accomplish some great objectives specially in the renewable field. Objectives are:

#1. According to Peter Rive (CEO of SolarCity), Silevo had perfected “heterojunction cell” (consists of multiple layers of semiconductors) using a 6-inch wafer, while Panasonic has not yet transitioned to using a 6-inch wafer for solar cells. So, Silevo’s learnings on 6-inch and apply those learning that Pansonic has achieved over the years for scaling heterojunction cells to gigawatts and beyond will be pursued.

#2. After merge the company CEO conclude, Solar cell cost will turn to 40¢/watt over time when produced at large scale (a competitive approach). This is due to use of better solar panel by Tesla/SolarCity with efficiencies in the (22-24)% range which is higher than commodity solar panels with 10% or15% light into electricity conversion scope.

#3. TESLA’s CEO introduced Powerwall2, PowerPack2 and Solar Roof Shingles. Both the batteries are of double the capacity of previous models. A single powerwall2 unit (price tag #$5,500 covers power to fridge, lights and electrical sockets, in a four-bedroom house for a day. Using solar panel to charge the battery can supply power indefinitely.

#4. Ion Musk’s (Tesla’s CEO) objective is to produce cheapest solar cell. In fact this is now a universal objective. Musk proposed Hydrographic coloring for the micro-louver film on objects as an inexpensive process. When made in high volumes cell cost will be way cheaper like regular volumes of glass. Micro-louvers act like window blinds to control the