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hammeredtrout1 t1_ixwi9sf wrote

Reply to comment by littleMAS in Record efficiency of 26.81% for large silicon solar cells by Wagamaga

I think it means there’s lots of room for further efficiency improvements. And solar is already the cheapest way to produce energy…imagine what will happen if efficiency continues to rise

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thefpspower t1_ixwivsr wrote

It's the cheapest because it has become cheap, not because it's more efficient than before. Efficient panels are way more expensive.

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BuzzBadpants t1_ixwzdte wrote

I don’t know why you’re getting downvoted, you’re absolutely correct.

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hammeredtrout1 t1_ixx5fg3 wrote

No they’re not. Energy cost is measured in price per megawatt hour - how much it costs to produce x amount of energy. Increasing efficiency is a major way of reducing cost, and solar has become cheaper than any other source not only because it’s cheaper to produce, but it is more efficient

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BasvanS t1_ixzoa4f wrote

Efficiency is about getting more out of the sand amount of surface. If double the surface gives the same amount of electricity, but is 10 times cheaper, the cost per kWh drops by a factor of five.

The cost of solar has come down, because it’s price follow an observed law where a doubling in installed capacity drops the price by 20% (Swanson’s law)

Efficiency is part of that equation, but the efficiency hasn’t gone up that much. It’s mostly production capacity that accounts for the savings.

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