This is just part of the ongoing revolution in solar (and energy) technology. It is part of what ensures that PV will continue to get cheaper (about 15% per year, on average over the last 20 years) for some time to come. I fully expect PV to become cheaper than wind because wind is likely to flatten out in the next several years. It will be great if wind keeps on getting cheaper, but it is already cheap enough to keep us busy for a couple of decades installing the wind which is cheaper than existing resources.
Announcements like this, however, are generally ten to twenty years in front of commercialization. It may happen faster, especially with other nations getting out in front of the U.S. for product development (since a lot of other nations don't have a lot of fossil reserves, they don't have a disinformation industry or heavy political weight against sustainable resources).
There's a lot of similar news in the works. PV is about three to five years away from becoming cheaper than the marginal fossil fuel in WV, as in the other lower Midwest states. If we could get regulators and lawmakers on board with pricing PV at the level of peak power avoidance, it would be cost-effective today, but that will take about as long as just getting the early installers to keep up the steam until the big wave comes along.
- Ned
On 11/18/2013 8:49 AM, Paul Wilson wrote:
Two for one in solar power: New process could revolutionize solar energy harvesting http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/%7E3/V82u5rUJi00/131117155727.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email
Posted: 17 Nov 2013 12:57 PM PST
A process that could revolutionize solar energy harvesting has been efficiently demonstrated in solution for the first time.
-- Paul Wilson Sierra Club 504 Jefferson Ave Charles Town, WV 25414-1130 Phone: 304-725-4360 Cell: 304-279-1361
"There is no forward until you have gone back" ~Buddha
"In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous" ~ Aristotle
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