FEB 23

The UK Telegraph is reporting that, in ten years, solar power will be half as cheap as oil and gas. Their basing their estimate on reports from companies producing solar panels, who I'm sure aren't biased at all, specifically companies creating Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (cigs) panels.

These panels do have a lot of potential, but I worry about the feasibility of coping with the world's energy needs with indium and gallium, two elements that are quite rare. Currently, the solar boom is trying to overcome a global shortage in processed silicon. And that's silicon! One of the most common elements on Earth.

Indium is a fairly rare, and difficult to process element. In 2003 the price of indium was $90 per kg. Now, because demand in solar and LCD displays, indium costs over $900 per kilogram.

There's a future in CIGS solar, and I hope that it can bring the cost per watt of solar power down significantly, but assuming that the cost of indium is going to stay the same when CIGS solar plants ramp up for global supply is rather silly. Nonetheless, solar is taking off, and EcoGeek is going on record predicting that per watt solar power will be cost competitive in less than ten years. CIGS panels are one step on that journey, but there's no reason to get overly optimistic.

Comments (4)

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You never know.....
written by Jamie, February 23, 2007

This company has developed a solar panel which doesnt use silicon :)

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SouthAfrican Solar
written by Hank, February 23, 2007

From what I read there, it looks like they're using CIGS technology, though there is apparently something novel (and proprietary) that they're doing to make the panels more efficient. What I said about indium still goes.

Here's the entry at PESWiki
http://peswiki.com/index.php/D...film_solar

I had to remove the URL from the above comment because long strings currently break the page. I'm working on that BTW.

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US ready for a smart car ??
written by Jason, February 24, 2007

You people want to see a nice car? Go to this website. It's awesome!

http://www.asmartcar.com/

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written by monotonehell, February 25, 2007

"Their basing their estimate..."
*ahem* ;)

Demand and supply flexing its muscles again. I still maintain that the answer to future power is not one technology, but a mix of many. But still the demand for alternate power sources will affect the market, and you're quite right, the rush of demand will be met will a influx of suppliers (if the free market is left to its own devices and no monopolies are set up) should bring down the costs - all while the costs of fossil fuels rise due to factors like peak oil, dwindling natural gas reserves and so on.

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