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IEEE: Solar PV systems will surpass fossil fuels
http://www.eetindia.co.in/ART_8800645215_1800008_NT_0dbd6513.HTM?click_from=8800080236,9949967805,2011-06-20,EEIOL,ARTICLE_ALERT

Posted: 20 Jun 2011 Print Version Subscribe Keywords: photovoltaic IEEE solar cell

According to solar experts from IEEE, solar photovoltaic (PV) systems will be the most economical form of generating electricity, even compared to traditional fossil fuels in the next decade.


To achieve this cost parity, the global industry must continue to improve the efficiency of solar PV cell technologies and create economies of scale to further decrease manufacturing costs. IEEE has several initiatives to encourage these advancements.

Solar energy is the earth's most abundant energy resource. The rate of energy from sunlight hitting the earth is of the order of 100petawatts. Just a fraction is needed to meet the power needs of the entire globe, as it takes approximately 15terawatts to power the earth (1petawatt = 1,000terawatts).

"Solar PV will be a game changer," said James Prendergast, IEEE executive director. "No other alternative source has the same potential. As the cost of electricity from solar continues to decrease compared to traditional energy sources we will see tremendous market adoption, and I suspect it will be a growth limited only by supply. I fundamentally believe that solar PV will become one of the key elements of the solution to our near and long term energy challenges."

According to the International Energy Association (IEA), global solar PV capacity has been increasing at an average annual growth rate of more than 40 per cent since 2000. By 2050, it is expected that solar PV will provide 11 per cent of global electricity production, corresponding to 3,000GW of cumulative installed capacity. That would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 2.3giga tons, equivalent to reducing emissions from electricity use from 25.3 crore homes per year, nearly the combined populations of Russia and Japan.

Today, however, engineering challenges remain. "For solar PV to truly compete on its own with traditional power generation, the cost and efficiency of transforming sunlight into electricity must continue to improve," said Jie Shu, IEEE director of the Solar Energy Application Laboratory, Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion (GIEC), Chinese Academy of Sciences


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