Record-breaking solar panels could slash power costs

[Mr. Sparkle]

[mucifer]

1. I'm sure the federal government will figure out ways to make this cost more.

They will probably put huge tariffs on it. But, it's great they are more efficient.

[Honeycombe8]

2. Yeah...we'd all have solar panels, if they were affordable.

Still, the taxpayers subsidize solar, which are still so expensive that only the rich and the very poor (who qualify) can get them, is what I read. The middle class is left holding the bag on the taxes. That's what I read. Because of some programs. But Congress may be cutting those programs, esp since there IS no climate change, now.

[caraher]

3. This raises more questions than it answers

Under diffuse light it's hard to see any real benefit to the "microtracking." And the main benefit of tracking is lost with a fixed array - the whole assembly is intercepting less light. Their innovation taking direct sunlight efficiency to 36% from a presumed baseline 18% in no way translates directly to "slashing" costs. It could - one positive of this design is that the array of lenses means you can take higher-performance but more costly electricity-generating elements and require fewer of them for a given panel size. But a lot depends on what kind of system you take as your baseline and where you install it (the advantages over an ordinary PV panel would presumably be greatest where you have plenty of cloud-free sunlight.

[yuiyoshida]

4. The present Administration doesn't care about this...

unless they find a way to make money off it and soak the consumer in debt.