(Image Credit: NREL) Recent breakthroughs in manufacturing
processes and some new approaches to development are driving the
cost per watt of solar down far faster than anyone imagined. The
cost per watt is a general measure of just how expensive a
technology is when it comes to electricity production. Solar has
been prohibitively expensive for the most part, but recent
innovations may change all of that. Less Waste = Less Cost
Traditionally, solar panels are made using silicon wafers that
have to be manufactured en mass and cut up into the smaller
pieces that make up a complete panel. This process tends to
waste a great deal of the expensive silicon and adds a
tremendous cost to the entire system. Ampulse Corporation, in
partnership with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has built a
new process that skips the cutting stage and goes straight to
forming high-quality silicon. The process involves growing the
silicon onto foil mold that allows the silicon to grow as thick
or thin as is needed. They claim to have