Every hour, the sun beams more energy to the Earth’s surface
than the global population uses in a year. Meanwhile, humanity
struggles with the effects of pollution, climate change and
fossil fuel dependence. Could it be that the solution to these
problems is right above us? Modern photovoltaic (PV)
technologies take advantage of renewable energy from the sun by
converting sunlight into electricity. So why aren’t more of us
using this remarkable technology to power our homes? When asked,
the reason most people give is the cost of installing a PV
system. But new thin-film PV products are getting better and
cheaper all the time. This technology could soon change the way
we think about electricity and make sunshine our “fuel” of
choice. The Rise of Thin-film Solar The type of solar-electric
module currently dominating the industry is crystalline silicon,
which is made by encapsulating wafers of highly refined silicon
under rectangular sheets of glass framed with aluminum. These
modules have been the primary solar