solar panels on space station [RE-wrenches]

[Bill Roush, Solar Electric Systems]

I believe these cells are thin films.  Very much a weight problem in getting
better cells up there.  The thin film cells are on a Mylar-like folding
'sheet' that unfurls.  There is a video of them expanding I have watched.

Best,
Bill Roush
Solar Electric Systems of Kansas City, Inc.
13700 W. 108th St.
Lenexa, KS 66215
913-338-1939
800-632-9751
913-469-5522fax
solarbeacon at email.msn.com
www.solarbeacon.com



-----Original Message-----
From:	Travis Creswell, Ozark Solar [mailto:ozsolar at ipa.net]
Sent:	Monday, December 11, 2000 9:46 AM
To:	RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject:	Re: solar panels on space station [RE-wrenches]

I originally heard 65 kW of power but then this morning on NPR I heard the
42 kW.  That got me to thinking...

240'x38'= 9120 ft2 or 847m2

Using 1000w/m2 (ideal conditions on earth) there is 847 kW hitting that
array

847kW (potential) vs. 42kW (actual) = 5% efficient

How can that be?  Wouldn't it be higher than 1000w/m2 in space?  Don't they
use much better cells (GA AS)  Sounds like they need a good RE-wrench up
there?  Is the frame taking up that much?  at $32,000 oz to get something in
space you think they would use as little frame as possible?

Travis Creswell
----------
>From: "Todd Cory, Bald Mt. Solar" <toddcory at jps.net>
>To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
>Subject: Re: solar panels on space station [RE-wrenches]
>Date: Mon, Dec 11, 2000, 9:27 AM
>

>I don't have a good picture but heard a news story that they produce 42
kw...
>makes me curious what they need 42 kw for... seems like a whole lot os
>power... and this is just the first deployment, there are more PV's to go
up
>there in the future.
>
>Todd
>
>jay peltz wrote:
>
>> I know its a bit off the subject but does anyone know a good photo of the
>> worlds largest panels?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> jay
>>
>> Jay Peltz
>> Peltz Power
>>
>
>
>
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 RE-wrenches at topica.com

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 http://www.topica.com/lists/RE-wrenches/

To unsubscribe send a message to: 
 RE-wrenches-unsubscribe at topica.com

To check out the other RE-Wrench participants:
 www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/index.html

Hosted by Home Power magazine: 
 www.homepower.com

For info contact list moderator by email:
 michael.welch at homepower.com

___________________________________________________________
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Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics