In just a few years since returning from France in 2006, I have noticed some significant improvements in the world of PV within the United States. In fact, it seems that there is a wave of solar development and deployment that is rolling across the country!
Let me preface this glowing remark by commenting that not all was so great even two or three years ago. I had been working for a year in a laboratory in France that specialized in basic research for silicon and eta-cell (extremely thin absorber) thin film photovoltaic devices. While there, I was working with members of industry, the French government and power company, and the French national lab system. It seemed that there was a great vertical integration of research, industry, and deployment in France (and even more occurring in Germany). It was therefore a bit of a let down to return and learn how far behind the US was in terms of this integration. Yes, there are two major centers for research in Colorado (NREL) and Florida (FSEC), but as a national whole, the system seemed a bit worn, frumpy, and patchwork in nature. In truth, the USA went through about a 25 year period where not much was visible at all in solar research. The funding had dried up, leaving room only for the biggest four or five names in materials research and computer simulation (who supplemented their funding with studies in refrigeration). Now, many of the notable solar researchers are either retired scientists, microelectronics specialists, or emeritus professors.
However, in the two years since I returned there has been a dramatic bootstrapping occurrence. Just as we are looking to “next generation” PV technology, so are we seeing “next generation” researchers, educators, and industrial developments! Gunther Portfolio is a great blog for keeping us informed about developments for investing, and SolarBuzz and PVNews/Greentech Media also have regular installments of more and more PV industry growth.
In education, Penn State launched a new Spring 2008 course from the Dept. of Energy & Mineral Engineering, focused on solar energy conversion (with emphasis on photovoltaic conversion). Penn State also has plans to develop another more hands-on course in photovoltaics for extended education in the near future. Prof. Tonio Buonassisi of MIT has also announced a course in photovoltaics set for this Fall 2008 semester. The students have spoken, and they want more information on the current state of the art in solar and photovoltaics!
In the federal government realm, we are still sadly lacking a signal to encourage PV via incentives. The residential tax credit is slated to expire at the end of this year (following an extension). You will find much better luck for incentives on a state by state basis (see DSIRE). However, we did just receive a call to action by former Vice President Al Gore that may put more senators and representatives “in the mood” for renewable electricity generation. Also, the Solar Decathlon is to continue until 2015, the projected year for levelized cost of electricity generation from PV to be competitive with coal-fired electricity generation. The sponsor (DOE/NREL) projects half a billion visitors to the Mall area over a three-week period in September 2009, and anticipates global exposure to the Solar Decathlon concept to over one billion people. The Solar Decathlon is also exerting a viral effect on solar engineering and design, as it is inspiring similar competitions globally. Even now, a Solar Decathlon Europe is planned for 2010 in Madrid, Spain. The city of Beijing will be holding the 2009 Delta Cup – International Solar Building Design Competition, where the winning homes will be deployed in the earthquake-hit areas of Sichuan.
Keep up the good work, solar community! Let’s continue to work together to provide more information and more incentive for the broad public to adopt solar renewable energy. Of course, if a major component of that is photovoltaics, I would be pretty ecstatic!
