Solar Cells

[shrtrnd]

Interesting to me, thought I'd share it:
NASA Tech Briefs www.techbriefs.com January 2014
Applications Silicon Vs Gallium Arsenide
Silicon solar cell panels are less efficient than Gallium Arsenide
On top of that, gallium arsenide runs 10% cooler than silicon.
On top of that, as silicon heats-up, it becomes even less efficient, and
gallium arsenide panels are virturally unaffected by heat.
In practical terms, the article claimed gallium arsenide panels overall are
about 50% more efficient than silicon solar cell panels.

 

[Harald Kapp]

The backside of GaAs solar cells is their price. That's why they are used in space technology, but not on your roof.

 

[shrtrnd]

I figured they weren't cheap. The article was geared toward use in automobile rooftops.
Like anything else, the price will drop if there's a large market for them.
I re-read the article. The gallium arsenide cells run 10 degrees C, cooler, not 10%.
I'm in Arizona, where car temperatures are unusually high. Considering the rapidly
increasing electrical requirements of of car accessories, and the other pros of the
article, it caught my attention.
Hey, Hybrids are just in their infancy.