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Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications

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Edited by: Martin A. Green, Ryne P. Raffaelle, Tim M. Bruton, Jean-Francois Guillemoles
Print ISSN: 1062-7995 Online ISSN: 1099-159X
Impact Factor: 6.456

March 03, 2013

Payback Time: Solar Cells to Compete with Fossil Fuel Prices by 2020

Solar cells are a favored source for renewable energy, yet the technology is yet to become cost competitive enough for it to be adopted as a replacement for fossil fuels. This costing is often estimated via ‘energy payback time’; the time in which a cell produces the amount of energy that was required to manufacture it. New research explores how technological advancements are likely to take place by 2020 which will dramatically drive down this ‘payback time’ to well below 6 months; less than half of the current energy payback time.