Science and Technology for Canadians

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Transcript of Video:

Super: Milfred Hammerbacher, President Spheral Solar Power
“This is a bendable, essentially non-breakable solar cell. That's a major difference from most of the existing solar panels today which are very fragile. Another major difference is the cost to manufacture this product. We expect to dramatically reduce the cost of this product to where it will eventually be competitive with fossil fuel type electricity type generation.”

Narrator:
Harnessing the power of the sun is nothing new.
What is new is a breakthrough technology from Spheral Solar Power of Cambridge, Ontario, in partnership with the Government of Canada.
It converts sunlight into electricity using tiny silicon spheres bonded into a flexible sheet of aluminum foil.

Clip: Milfred Hammerbacher.
"The technology is very clean.”-(covered) Then on camera.
(tight shot) “Essentially, the technology does require some electricity to manufacture.
In our case, that electricity is paid back in less than two years after the product is deployed in the field.
After that any electricity generated by the solar system is essentially greenhouse gas free generation of electricity.”

Narrator:
To make spheres, granulated silicon is fed into a giant oven and baked at two thousand degrees celsius.
The spheres have to be perfectly round to conduct electricity so they're sorted on vibrating tables.
Another sheet of aluminum foil is laid on top and out comes a light weight flexible power source that's so strong you could drive a car over it or cover a roof.
Each sheet is tested with lasers for imperfections.
Interest from developing countries such as China is high.
Silicon and aluminum supplies are abundant; manufacturing costs are low and electricity is produced at well below the price of traditional solar technology.

Super: Skip Hayden, Group Leader - Integrated Energy Systems Natural Resources Canada
“It is a leading edge world technology, not just Canadian. We've got five different Canadian consortia producing these, this combining system in a variety of forms. Nobody else in the world is doing this right now. So we're really taking two or three steps up on the rest of the world.”

Clip: Skip Hayden
“This is a very clean technology. The gas burners that are used to provide the basis for this energy are the highest, cleanest burning technologies that are around right now.”

Narrator:
It uses no fossil fuels and is fast becoming a leader in the international effort to decrease greenhouse gases.