The document discusses four visions for reinventing energy futures over the next 10-15 years in light of climate change and rising energy demand. It explores a Quora question about why smaller solar panels are less efficient than larger ones, noting that smaller panels have higher per-cell costs for wiring, framing, mounting and shipping. Responses indicate solar panel size does not significantly impact efficiency, which typically ranges from 15-25% for mass produced silicon panels. Related questions discuss fundamental limits to solar panel efficiency and the future prospects for solar energy as costs decline and climate change increases its importance.

1. Reinventing Energy Futures: Four Visions
http://www.iftf.org/our-work/people-technology/technology-horizons/reinventing-energy-futures/
Kyle Miller Fal02B Professor Klinkowstein

2. Reinventing Energy Futures
Quote
“Over the next 10-15 years, our relationship to
energy will enter a new phase, framed by the stark
reality of carbon emission-driven climate change
and rising energy demand around the globe.”
Kyle Miller Fal02B Professor Klinkowstein

3. My Quora Question
● What is stopping smaller solar panels to be as efficient
as larger solar panels?
○ More specifically, why is it that we can have 40% efficient solar panels in space, but not on a car or solar powered
mobile technology. I am not looking to maintain for price, just concepts.
Kyle Miller Fal02B Professor Klinkowstein

4. Quora Responses
● 5 answers, 5 followers, 2082 views
○ David Brower
■ Everybody else is, correctly, talking about conversion efficiency. There’s another aspect,
which is economic efficiency. A smaller panel means a smaller number of cells which have to
be mounted, framed and connected to whatever is consuming the power. The wiring costs,
per-cell, are greater with smaller panels than larger ones, both in material and labor, up to a
point. Similarly with framing, mounting and shipping costs.
■ The standard 40 x 65″ and 40 x 77″ panels are the volume parts because they optimize the
shipping and installation costs — both fit reasonably in a typical construction vehicle and can
be reasonably handled by one person. Larger would be more awkward to ship, and need more
people to lug around.
■ Smaller panels are less cost efficient to manufacture, deliver, install and maintain.
Kyle Miller Fal02B Professor Klinkowstein

5. Quora Response
● Chris Harget
○ The world record for triple-junction solar cells is about 44.4%, but the cell uses exotic
materials (gallium and indium are very expensive), generally has light focused on it at
100x–1,000x concentration and they make no financial sense for rooftops. Nobody uses them
that way.
○ Mass produced crystalline silicon solar cells generally convert 20%–25%. A couple gigawatts
per year of panels of varying sizes are deployed annually.
○ The size of the panel has little relation to the conversion efficiency.
● Craig Lawrence
○ There is no significant efficiency difference between large and small solar panels. For the
most part, they are all between 15%-20% efficient, regardless of size.
Kyle Miller Fal02B Professor Klinkowstein

6. Quora Related Questions
● Can we actually create an extremely efficient solar panel?
○ Jacob VanWagoner
■ Fundamental limit 1: Absorption / conversion efficiency of panel material
■ Fundamental limit 2: Reflection and scattering off the panels
■ Fundamental limit 3: Extraction of electricity
● Why haven't solar panels become common everywhere?
○ Craig Lawrence
■ Very Efficient, inexpensive, require batteries, not only the desert, grid power
■ Common in some regions more than others, but will be more common as electricity
prices rise.
Kyle Miller Fal02B Professor Klinkowstein

7. Quora Related Questions
● What is the future of solar panels?
○ Joel Jean
■ Climate change is happening, we need lots of low-carbon energy to stop it, solar is one
of our only practical options, and solar PV is growing faster than anyone ever imagined.
■ The main obstacle is cost: Global PV growth thus far has largely been driven by federal
and local subsidies. That said, PV is already cost-competitive with fossil fuels in some
places, and system costs (and prices) continue to decline.
Sources:
https://www.quora.com/Why-havent-solar-panels-become-common-everywhere
https://www.quora.com/Is-there-a-fundamental-limitation-to-how-efficient-solar-panels-can-be
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-future-of-solar-energy
Kyle Miller Fal02B Professor Klinkowstein

8. Draft Product or Service Description
Solar Powered umbrella, with internal batteries, bluetooth speakers, and usb charging.
Includes a place to safely hold electronics out of the sand or wet hands.
Kyle Miller Fal02B Professor Klinkowstein