CONCENTRATED POWER
Traditional solar panels produce electricity based on variables like the quality of the silicon used in the cells, the size of the solar cell, the amount of sun exposure, the cost of the used materials and the efficiency of its conversion technology.
When you insert a more-efficient solar cell in the path of all that energy, solar power production is more efficient -- but is it also less costly in terms of $/W(peak)? Clearly, that depends on the cost of the materials and that of the overall system.
Let's look at the numbers. According to SolarBuzz research, solar panels sell for about $4.81 per watt of power output. One can hope that EMCORE's solar cells might cost less than $4.81, but that remains to be seen.
EMCORE's Multi- Junction Solar Cell Technology Adapted to Terrestrial Power Generation
