Copenhagen (Denmark) - Martin Aagesen, a PhD from the Nano-Science Center at the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen, discovered a new, untried material, called silicium. He describes it as "a perfect crystalline structure". The new material has the ability to absorb all light, and he claims it could become "the perfect solar cell". According to early reports, 30% efficiencies seem well within reach, though there are very few details in his findings.

Aagesen is not revealing a lot of details about his discovery, other than the name of the material, silicium, and that the material is inexpensive to produce. The entire press release is only five paragraphs long. Still, he does indicate the material could "revoluionise the transformation of solar energy into electricity," making it a viable solution for ordinary households.

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Today, less than 1% of the world’s electricity comes from the sun in the form of solar energy. This is due primarily to the expense associated with a relatively low-return-on-investment technology like solar. For certain applications, expensive solar cells can be a desirable solution. Stand-alone devices which do not need to be up 100% of the time, or can have enough battery backup to make it through two or three days without the sun, are the target.

Commercial solar applications are always questionable because, as with wind and other periodic energy sources, their output is not constant. With wind farms, when the wind speed slows down there is a significant reduction in output. If an a region is relying upon that power from the wind farm, then it must also be recognized that there are times when the wind farm could be producing almost no electricity. The region must also go ahead then and built a large enough capacity conventional system, either coal fired or a nuclear plant, to provide 100% of the area’s needs. And at this point, cost becomes a factor because not only are you building sufficient capacity for the region, but also capacity above and beyond when the full wind or solar system is considered.

Solar does have advantages over wind, however, in that during the evening hours there is a considerably lower demand for electricity.

The original article was published on December 5, 2007. There is a fee-based Nature article that can be purchased for $18. Aagesen’s company, called SunFlake, Inc., is currently pursuing development of the solar cell.

Author’s opinion Just once I’d like to read about something potentially revolutionary like this in the following context : Today, Martin Aagesen released for free to the world a complete set of instructions on how to make a revolutionary form of solar cells right in your own garage. Within the pages of a 457 page PDF file widely disseminated this morning, is everything even the most inept beginner would need to know on how to construct this power source. Yes, it is unlikely this genie can be put back in the bottle. Soon, people everywhere, with materials they can purchase at their local hardware store, will have easy access to a clean, renewable form of energy. Already there are scientists at various universities who have confirmed the process works. It seems Aagesen has released unto the world a free bonanza of energy ! It is this author’s opinion that Aagesen should be sent a check for $50 from every American who ends up using it. Let’s have some voluntary compliance for something given to us voluntarily. Let’s show the big energy corporate interests that giving is what it’s all about.

Will it ever happen ? I envision my mother coming in at any moment and saying "Wake up, Rick. It’s time for school." Dare to dream, Rick. Dare to dream...