Much has been written recently about potential solar cell technology breakthroughs. Here’s the big picture – it won’t matter that much.
How can this be so? Aren’t we all waiting for a major solar breakthrough to be able to make a much quicker transition to a solar-powered world?
Before we look into why it doesn’t matter much, let’s at least consider a recent solar cell story for some background information.
In a recent article from ScienceDaily.com, it is mentioned that the mineral Perovskite has the potential to add much value to the solar panel manufacturing industry. Scientists from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University have shown that this material has promise to offer similar qualities to that of crystalline silicon.
For a material to qualify as a good source for solar panel production, it must meet the requirements of the “golden triangle”; The sunlight conversion rate must be high, it must be cheap to produce, and it must last a long time. So far, the team has shown that Perovskite can meet these requirements, at least on smaller sample sizes. The next and possibly final challenge, is to be able to reproduce the material in larger size samples and at the same time retaining the same qualities needed for commercial production.
Lab tests do not show that Perovskite can provide a better sunlight conversion percentage than the current standard of 20 percent, so its main advantage lies in its cheaper costs. How much cheaper? Well, that’s not mentioned in the article and may not be known quite yet. However, it won’t matter much. Let’s look into this now.
As discussed in the cost of solar page, the price of solar panels is only about one fourth of the total cost of going solar. On a per watt basis, many solar panels cost about 75 cents per watt. The total cost to get solar installed on a home in many parts of the United States is still about $3 per watt.
A good question then is – how cheaply can solar panels be produced? At 75 cents per watt, they are already fairly cheap and do not represent a large part of the overall solar installation cost. Let’s assume that new improvements to solar cell technology being worked on by many scientists are ultimately taken to market and they are able to cut the costs of producing solar cells almost in half. Let’s say they shaved 30 cents per watt off the costs.
The following example would be typical of the new costs savings should this new material be taken to market.
Average old price for going solar – 5 kilowatt system at $3 per watt is $15,000 before incentives.
Average new price for going solar – 5 kilowatt system at $2.70 per watt is $13,500 before incentives.
So as we can see, this new solar cell breakthrough would allow for a savings of about $1,500 on average.
Will this enable a massive number of homeowners to now be able to go solar? Obviously, no. The bottom line is that solar power is already cost effective. It’s actually cheaper than conventional electricity all across America.
To be clear, the point of this post is not to discount the important work scientists around the world are doing on advancements in solar cell technology. Instead, there needs to be more focus and awareness on how the solar industry has already matured. No further advancements are needed for mass adoption. The time to go solar is now!
In conclusion, potential solar cell breakthroughs hold great promise for the future of renewable energy. The advancements in technology and research have paved the way for more efficient and cost-effective solar cells. These breakthroughs have the potential to revolutionize the energy industry and contribute significantly to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, further research and development are still needed to overcome challenges and ensure the scalability and commercial viability of these breakthroughs. With continued investment and support, the future looks bright for solar energy and its role in addressing the global energy crisis.
In conclusion, potential solar cell breakthroughs hold great promise for the future of renewable energy. The advancements in technology and research have paved the way for more efficient and cost-effective solar cells. These breakthroughs have the potential to revolutionize the energy industry and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. With continued investment and support, we can expect to see significant progress in harnessing the power of the sun and creating a more sustainable future.
In conclusion, the potential breakthroughs in solar cell technology have the potential to revolutionize the renewable energy industry. With advancements in efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and scalability, solar cells could become a more viable and widespread source of clean energy. However, further research and development are needed to overcome challenges and bring these breakthroughs to market. Overall, the future looks promising for solar cell technology, offering a big picture of a greener and more sustainable future.
In conclusion, potential solar cell breakthroughs hold great promise for the future of renewable energy. The advancements in materials and technology discussed in this article have the potential to significantly improve the efficiency and affordability of solar cells. These breakthroughs could revolutionize the way we harness solar energy and address the growing global demand for clean and sustainable power sources. While further research and development is needed, the big picture is clear – solar cell breakthroughs have the potential to transform our energy landscape and contribute to a more sustainable future.
In conclusion, potential solar cell breakthroughs have the ability to revolutionize the renewable energy industry. With advancements in technology and research, solar cells have the potential to become more efficient, cost-effective, and accessible to a wider population. These breakthroughs offer a promising future for clean energy production and a significant step towards reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. However, further research and development are still required to fully realize the potential of these breakthroughs and make solar energy a mainstream energy source.
In conclusion, the potential solar cell breakthroughs have the ability to revolutionize the renewable energy industry. These advancements offer the promise of increased efficiency, lower costs, and greater accessibility to solar power. With ongoing research and development, it is likely that solar cells will continue to evolve and become an integral part of our energy future. However, it is important to note that while these breakthroughs show great promise, further testing and refinement are necessary before they can be widely implemented. Nonetheless, the potential benefits of these advancements cannot be overlooked, as they hold the key to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly energy source.