Barriers to innovation in DIY solar panels

[russ]

IMO Patents don't really impact DIY.
A patent holder isn't going to notice if you are using his patent for the 50 panels you make for yourself. And even if he does know of it, it wouldn't be worth suing some guy who only made 50 panels and the settlement would be less than the lawyer fees.

The other posts put forth some good arguments.

IMO the biggest is economics....

You got it - on a mass produced item that is sold into an ultra competitive market it is impossible to make an item one off (or 50) and be cheaper. For quality the factory should win 1000 times out of 1000.

[foo1bar]

Hey Mike thanks a lot for your reply. Other than these are there any barriers related to patenting rights or legal barriers which come in their way? Also are there any government incentives for making such panels? I am a complete newbie here. Kindly enlighten me!!

IMO Patents don't really impact DIY.
A patent holder isn't going to notice if you are using his patent for the 50 panels you make for yourself. And even if he does know of it, it wouldn't be worth suing some guy who only made 50 panels and the settlement would be less than the lawyer fees.

The other posts put forth some good arguments.

IMO the biggest is economics....

[Mike90250]

are there any barriers related to patenting rights or legal barriers

The barrier is the the electrical and fire safety certification, so that DIY gear can be bolted to a house and massive electrical systems and not cause a fire or death.

[russ]

What I meant by "new way" was a new method or technique of making solar panels which can save on costs or improve the efficiency of solar panels. Innovation is always finding new ways to do things better.

Wow! Who woulda thunk - innovation is involved in finding new ways!

Your IP says you are posting from Hamburg, Germany. Are you going to school there and trying to get ideas for a paper or what?

If you studied the topic before posting ignorant garbage it would be a lot more impressive.

[parthnu]

The largest barrier is obtaining prime grade A solar cell chips. Currently, those are all consumed by large panel manufacturers.

Second, is soldering the tab wire to the cells. Easy to do 4 or 5 at home, more than that, and it grows to an unwieldy mess.

Third is protecting the fragile cells from mechanical damage and the effects of moisture. Most DIY folks don't have a large vacuum laminator that can gently fuse the layers together without stress cracking the chips.

Fourth, hooking a homemade firestarter to the roof of your house and the electrical system, and expecting your insurance company to protect you if it burns the house.

Hey Mike thanks a lot for your reply. Other than these are there any barriers related to patenting rights or legal barriers which come in their way? Also are there any government incentives for making such panels? I am a complete newbie here. Kindly enlighten me!!

[parthnu]

"In a new way"? We have heard of no new way. There does not seem to be anything different on the way.

What I meant by "new way" was a new method or technique of making solar panels which can save on costs or improve the efficiency of solar panels. Innovation is always finding new ways to do things better.

[russ]

"In a new way"? We have heard of no new way. There does not seem to be anything different on the way.

[Sunking]

Strike 1. Cannot get them UL approved, thus cannot be used in any code compliant manner.
Strike 2. They will fail in a very short period of time.
Strike 3. You can buy them cheaper than you can make them, they come UL approved, and come with a 20 to 25 year warranty.


Three strikes you are out.

[Mike90250]

The largest barrier is obtaining prime grade A solar cell chips. Currently, those are all consumed by large panel manufacturers.

Second, is soldering the tab wire to the cells. Easy to do 4 or 5 at home, more than that, and it grows to an unwieldy mess.

Third is protecting the fragile cells from mechanical damage and the effects of moisture. Most DIY folks don't have a large vacuum laminator that can gently fuse the layers together without stress cracking the chips.

Fourth, hooking a homemade firestarter to the roof of your house and the electrical system, and expecting your insurance company to protect you if it burns the house.

[parthnu]

Hello everyone,
I am a Masters student doing research on Barriers faced by innovators in solar home energy sector. I have read many threads here and they are highly enlightining!! I would like to know from Lead Users here what are the common challenges and barriers they face while making their own Solar Panel in a new way??

Thanks
Parth