It seems like a pretty far-fetched idea: solar PV cells costing as little as coal? The ramifications of such a surge forward for solar technology would be immeasurable. Solar would become the gold standard in energy production worldwide, and as a solar company, that's exactly the direction we want to go.

According to this article from Renewable Energy World, the fellas over at 1366 Technologies say that that shining future isn't as far away as you'd think.

The article discusses how Frank van Mierlo and Emanuel Sachs, founders of the Cambridge-based company, believe solar can be cost-competitive within 10 years, and that the "solar revolution" that is beginning right now in 2010 will be obvious "in hindsight". An interesting tidbit: as explained in the article, 1366 Technologies' name "acknowledges the fact that sunlight falls on the earth at the rate of 1,366 Watts per square meter. That means 130,000 TW of solar energy reaches the Earth each year. The company also figures that humans consume coal, nuclear and natural gas at the rate of around 15 TW a year, a fraction of the sun’s delivered energy potential".

Their engineers, technicians and scientists are working hard to develop what they call "potentially disruptive technology", which is fancy-talk for groundbreaking new ways to make PV more efficient and more cost-effective.

An interesting article, and one that shines a ray of hope for solar's future. Drop us a line and let us know what you think! Will solar see the meteoric rise predicted by van Mierlo and Sachs, or will the fight for renewable energy rage on?

Think Clearly!