Solar cells: about to become affordable, finally
At a time when many worry that the U.S. will lose its manufacturing backbone, glimmers of hope are rising in unexpected places. In solar, a series of companies -- Alta Devices, Twin Creeks Technologies, 1366 Technologies, Astrowatt, Bangap Technologies -- have devised techniques to produce thin, inexpensive wafers that could help bring the price of solar down to $1 per watt by 2015.
K.V. Ravi at Crystal Solar says his company can produce wafers measuring 50 microns thick, one-third the size of cutting-edge wafers today. That would lead to solar cells that could produce a watt of power from a gram of silicon.
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Last updated May 18 2011: 2:50 PM ET
