Cost of Solar Power Equal to Coal Now

by reposted Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2007 at 10:02 AM

The development at a South African University of a process to manufacture panels made with a much better material (CIGS) that generates electricity from sunlight at a lower cost than the silicone photo voltaic panels is what has been hoped for for decades. Solar power is no longer too expensive compared to coal plant generation.

"The most promising PV material identified to date is
Copper-Indium-Gallium-Diselenide (CIGS)." 1

"Less than one micron of CIGS absorbs more than 99% of available
incident solar energy, compared to 350 microns of silicon to do the
same job." 1

"International experts have admitted that nothing else comes close to
the effectiveness of the South African invention." 2

"...the cost of the South African technology is a fraction of the less
effective silicone solar panels." 2

"A typical middle-class suburban family needs only about 30 square
metres (about the size of a living room) of solar panels to supply all
of its electricity needs." 1

The German company IFE started production a year ago, and other
companies are negotiating to produce the panels. A recent email
requesting purchasing information got this response from IFE:
"Currently, we are in the process of constructing our production facility
in Brandenburg an der Havel. In all probability, production of our thin film
solar modules is going to start by mid 2007."

Leaders around the world are vowing to fight against global warming, and
they are forming committees everywhere to find solutions. But this new
substance has not been reported on in this country (except on the IMCs)
to the extent it should be and our leaders are scratching their heads about
what to do.

The solutions to global warming are at hand RIGHT NOW! They are this
type of electricity generation, and hydrogen and electric cars.

Please make your leaders and electric companies aware of this new
photo voltaic panel. We should be producing them by the millions as
soon as possible!

1 - Novel invention could mean cheaper source of energy from solar power
http://www.scienceinafrica.co.za/2004/november/energy.htm

2 - South African solar research eclipses rest of the world
http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=116&art_id=vn20060211110132138C184427

IFE website - http://www.ife-net.de/en/solar.php