Options and prospects

Solar cell research continues to improve the efficiency of solar cells, with targets to reach the currently accepted limit of 29-30%. Efficiency results from commercially-produced solar cells lag a few years behind efficiency results from laboratory-produced cells. Modules with efficiencies in excess of 22% are now commercially available. For a given module cost, more efficient modules are also more cost-effective, as fewer additional costs (such as floor space, wiring costs, etc.) are required to generate the same amount of energy. Ultimately, this means that the more efficient a photovoltaic module is, and therefore the more i cost-effective it is, the more attractive photovoltaics will be as a source of electricity for domestic and industrial uses. The impact of module efficiency on the cost of electricity is illustrated in figure