CibbuanoSolar power finally approaching the cost of coal
December 24th 2007 05:43
Ah, it's the start of a glorious day... the weather's fantastic here in Sydney, we're off for the holidays, I've got 3 bags of frozen dumplings and, announced today, a company in America has figured out how to manufacture solar panels for $1 per watt.
That company is Nanosolar and they've hit this milestone by taking an obvious, yet neglected route to cheap solar power. Where other development teams have been trying to improve the efficiency of the solar cells, Nanosolar has concentrated on the manufacturing process,
The big step is that they've moved to a printing-press-like operation, where the panels are pressed onto rolls of aluminium - traditionally, solar cells are fabricated in silicon with a thin-film deposition.
The founder of Nanosolar, Martin Roscheisen, gives it to us straight:
"“With a $1-per-watt panel,” he said, “it is possible to build $2-per-watt systems.”
According to the Energy Department, building a new coal plant costs about $2.1 a watt, plus the cost of fuel and emissions, he said."
There's still a lot of issues to be worked out with solar power, but at least the chief impediment is being etched away. With solar power at $1/watt, it matches coal - factor in the emission costs, and the panels are a clear winner.
That company is Nanosolar and they've hit this milestone by taking an obvious, yet neglected route to cheap solar power. Where other development teams have been trying to improve the efficiency of the solar cells, Nanosolar has concentrated on the manufacturing process,
The big step is that they've moved to a printing-press-like operation, where the panels are pressed onto rolls of aluminium - traditionally, solar cells are fabricated in silicon with a thin-film deposition.
The founder of Nanosolar, Martin Roscheisen, gives it to us straight:
"“With a $1-per-watt panel,” he said, “it is possible to build $2-per-watt systems.”
According to the Energy Department, building a new coal plant costs about $2.1 a watt, plus the cost of fuel and emissions, he said."
There's still a lot of issues to be worked out with solar power, but at least the chief impediment is being etched away. With solar power at $1/watt, it matches coal - factor in the emission costs, and the panels are a clear winner.
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arun, yes, we'll have to keep watch on this one...