News on solar photovoltaïc are numerous as many companies and labs are working in research and development to bring to market the best PV cells possible in terms of price and of efficiency.
In the meantime, more and more large projects are being launched. Indeed, California announced a 1,300 MW project near Los Angeles and Spain installed up to 3 GW last year alone.
In today’s article we will have a look at the latest and most promising developments and the largest solar projects that are literally sprouting around the world.
Market
According to Wired and several other sources, the largest solar PV project has been announced in California in the vincinity of Los Angeles. Due to bring more than 1,300 MW to the grid, it will be able to bring electricity to more than 800,000 homes. (more)
Spain installed last year up to 3,000 MW (3.1 GW) of solar PV panels. Market analysts predicted a growth of one Gigawatt. Please check out the article on TreeHugger.
According to Alt Dot Energy China plans to cut cost of solar power to $0.146 per kWh in 2012. This would occur three years earlier than previously thought. (more)
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Technology
Japanese companies represent an important part of market shares as their government started early the promotion of this energy source. To CleanTechnica, Mitsubishi broke PV Cell Efficiency Record. (more)
Could solar cells be printed like money ? This is a question Australia is willing to answer positively. To CleanTechnica,” flexible, large area, cost-effective, reel-to-reel printable plastic solar cells will even be conducted(…) a banknote printing company.” (more)
Solar could also be sprayed. To TreeHugger, Australia is planning to build the largest solar factory in the Southern Hemisphere using a great new technology. (more)
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My conclusion: things are getting faster and faster in research and development of solar photovoltaïc and more and more people find real breakthroughs.
Solar panels becoming much cheaper they may end in every middle class households in Northern America, Western Europe and Japan. And with mass market, prices will keep falling until they are so cheap they could enable the 1.5 billion without electricity to afford them.
Be sure that I will keep you posted on the latest developments, so for this and for much more, stay tuned and don’t forget to subscribe !