BackgroundSolar cells
Solar cells convert sunlight directly into electricity. They show great promise for the future of energy supply. A significant benefit is that the technique can be applied on a small or large scale, both in densely populated as well as more remote areas. However, present commercially available solar panels and the systems in which they are used are still costly, so that the costs of generating solar power in the Netherlands are about 50 €ct/kWh. That is approximately ten times more than for fossil fuels and nuclear energy. The result is that the contribution of solar cells in worldwide electricity production is still very limited. However, the potentials for reducing costs are enormous (also a factor of ten), both by technological development and modernisation as well as by scale enlargement in production and installation. Consequently, it is generally expected that in about ten years solar power will be able to compete with consumer prices and in the longer term with wholesale prices for power. There are various kinds of solar cells being sold and even more kinds under development in laboratories. The present market is dominated by crystalline silicon technology, which is still far less expensive and capable of becoming considerably more efficient. In addition, there are various kinds of thin film solar cells being sold, which use less material and so can have a cost advantage. The trick is to get the output sufficiently high and to set up high-quality, large-scale production.
In order to be able to have solar power compete across the full breadth, entirely new kinds of solar cells are probably needed, with very high output and very low costs. Consequently, worldwide, and in the Netherlands too, work is underway on solar cells based on new materials and on new conversion principles. Fortunately, laboratories are gaining increasing insight into the fundamental mechanisms that convert sunlight into electrical energy. The Holy Grail is a solar cell capable of converting all colours of light efficiently.
It is a persistent misunderstanding that the production of solar power systems costs more energy than the systems produce in their entire lifetime. The fact is that in northwest Europe it takes roughly three years to recoup the energy needed for making and installing a complete system. That is only about 1/10 of the lifetime.
