Mainstream solar electricity 3 to 4 years away


“We are now seeing two major trends that will accelerate the growth of photovoltaics: the development of advanced technologies, and the emergence of China as a low-cost producer.”


“We are now seeing two major trends that will accelerate the growth of photovoltaics: the development of advanced technologies, and the emergence of China as a low-cost producer,” said Janet Sawin, a senior researcher at the Worldwatch Institute.

Costs could fall 40 percent in the next few years as polysilicon becomes more available, Sawin said.

More than a dozen companies in Europe, China, Japan, and the United States will boost production over the next few years of purified polysilicon, which helps panels convert sunlight into electricity, and is the main ingredient in semiconductor computer chips, according to the report.

Last year, China passed the United States to become the world’s third largest producer of solar panels, trailing only Germany and Japan.

“To say that Chinese PV producers plan to expand production rapidly in the year ahead would be an understatement,” said Travis Bradford, president of the Prometheus Institute. “They have raised billions from international IPOs to build capacity and increase scale with the goal of driving down costs”.

Living in a region with clear skies 300+ days a year, this catches my attention a lot earlier than folks in northern tier states. Lowering the cost of buy-in always makes a difference.

Posted: Wed - May 23, 2007 at 06:14 AM