Thin film solar technology to undercut cost of fossil fuels within five years

Solar panels that will be more efficient and a whole lot cheaper are on their way, ready to match the cost of old-fashioned fossil fuels within five years.

Everyone loves solar power. The notion of making electricity from the Earth’s solar income is pretty much irresistible. But the harsh reality of our current state of PV (photovoltaic) technology, a reality that not many choose to acknowledge, is that without government subsides, solar power just doesn’t pay for itself in any timely way—certainly not the kind of way that would make the profit-minded jump. But that may only be because our days of silicon-based solar cells are numbered.

Researchers are moving away from heavy silicon solar panels and changing the entire solar energy equation with thin-film solar panels made of rolls of dark polymer foil that can be mass-produced in any color. The thin film has already seen some great uses, such as keeping beer cooler.

Even though solar technology has made significant gains since the 1970s when it cost $100 per watt (now it’s $3 to $4 per watt), that sweet spot of beating out fossil fuels is $1 per watt.

The new solar foil can be available for even less than that — $0.80/watt — within five years and beat the cost of fossil fuels by 50% in 10 years. There are even more benefits to this groundbreaking tech, including one key factor:

Because these newfangled rolls of foil are 200 times lighter than their silicon-based predecessors, they can even be attached to the sides of buildings, tinted windows, cell phones, notebook computers, cars, and even clothing.

Thin film solar modules don’t use the costly, and limited, silicon that we are used to. The technology is based on CIGS (copper indium gallium selenide) arranged on a flexible backing. Best of all, the thin film will even work well on a cloudy day. Power companies must be trembling at this development, where a huge percentage of their customers might soon turn the tables, selling power back to them.