The cost of solar cells, which convert sunlight directly to electricity, has fallen more than 90 percent since 1980. The past few years have witnessed additional innovations signaling the emergence of solar energy in the home as a high-growth sector including:

(1) mass-produced solar generators that are cost-competitive with the most advanced fossil plants, and;

(2) rooftop solar panels and tiny fuel cells that allow people to generate their own electricity.

Estimates generally range from 10,000 - 30,000 new solar home systems worldwide curently being installed each year. More than 250,000 homes in developing countries already get their electricity from solar cells, and major corporations such as Siemens, Mitsubishi, Westinghouse, and Enron have announced investments in photovoltaics and advanced fuel cells.

Solar energy and photovoltaic (PV) technology have the potential to play an important role in the efforts to meet the combined global environmental and social challenges of development.

The Worldwatch Institute study projects solar, wind, and geothermal energy will grow rapidly in the early twenty-first century, while the use of coal and oil would fall by 73 and 20 percent respectively during the next 25 years.

Solar PV systems were once prohibitively expensive solutions to energy needs. Over the past two decades there has been a 10-fold reduction in the delivered price of energy from PV systems. Small home-systems in developing nations typically supply 10 - 80 Wp at a cost of about $1.00/kWh. While this is still well above the costs of power from fossil-fuel plants there are reasons to be hopeful. The price of PV modules has decreased by roughly 20% for each doubling of the number of units produced (Williams and Terzian, 1993). PV is a 'flexible' technology where systems of many sizes can be easily constructed and very cheaply maintained to meet a range of power demands. (Arvidson, 1995). For example, the new United Solar low-cost solar panels capture sunlight with an efficiency of 10.2 percent. This new technology and increase in the power per unit cost could make solar energy a good alternative to traditional power. "The DOE predicts that the United Solar panels could bring the cost of photovoltaic power down to 12 to 16 cents per kilowatt-hour, less than half its current cost. Power companies usually now charge between six and 20 cents per kilowatt-hour for fossil fuel-generated electricity." (Beardsley).

In closing, if mass-produced solar panels can meet the standards of the United Solar prototypes, solar power could take its place as a standard auxiliary source of electricity.

Narrower Topic(s):  

Solar air condiioning

Solar cells

Solar collectors

Broader Topic(s):

Solar energy (909 items)

Renewable energy sources

Solar radiation

Call Number Range:

TJ809 - TJ812.8

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This website / magazine article deals with new inovations in the solar energy industry. The article describes the new United Solar low-cost solar panels which capture sunlight with an efficiency of 10.2 percent. This new technology and increase in the power per unit cost could make solar energy a good alternative to traditional power. It discusses the disadvantages that cost has on solar energy, and the use of new technologies that enable solar energy to be competitive - "The DOE predicts that the United Solar panels could bring the cost of photovoltaic power down to 12 to 16 cents per kilowatt-hour, less than half its current cost. Power companies usually now charge between six and 20 cents per kilowatt-hour for fossil fuel-generated electricity." In closing, if mass-produced solar panels can meet the standards of the United Solar prototypes, solar power could take its place as a standard auxiliary source of electricity.

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