– A Material That Could Make Solar Power “Dirt Cheap” (MIT Technology Review, Aug 8, 2013):
Researchers discover that a material known for a hundred years could lower the cost of solar power.
A new type of solar cell, made from a material that is dramatically cheaper to obtain and use than silicon, could generate as much power as today’s commodity solar cells.
Although the potential of the material is just starting to be understood, it has caught the attention of the world’s leading solar researchers, and several companies are already working to commercialize it.
Researchers developing the technology say that it could lead to solar panels that cost just 10 to 20 cents per watt. Solar panels now typically cost about 75 cents a watt, and the U.S. Department of Energy says 50 cents per watt will allow solar power to compete with fossil fuel.
Read moreResearchers Discover Material That Could Make Solar Power ‘Dirt Cheap’