Caltech creates solar panel with 86% efficiency

[Scam of God]

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This is a pretty major step. The only thing that's really prevented the mass adoption of solar panels hitherto is their relative inefficiency; previous generations of solar panels generally maxed out at half-rate. I look forward to future developments in this area.

[opebo]

That's great.  But we already had coal, so I'm not so excited.

[ARescan]

Get it to 100% and I'm all for it.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Until they actually do, I'll be skeptical that they can make them for a reasonable cost on a mass production basis.

Fuel cells have had the same problem as well for decades.

[Padfoot]

Until they actually do, I'll be skeptical that they can make them for a reasonable cost on a mass production basis.

Fuel cells have had the same problem as well for decades.

Not so fast!  Check out this article from the February 24th, 2010 LA Times:

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[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I was aware of the recent fuel cell development.  But there are fuel cells and then there are fuel cells.  Solid oxide fuel cells such as mentioned in the article will never be practical for anything other than the large fixed installations mentioned due to their operating characteristics, especially their lengthy start up time and high operating temperatures.  Basically these cells substitute for gas turbines used to generate electricity, but this class of fuel cell will never substitute for the internal combustion engine.

[Bo]

Good news. We need to ween ourselves off of foreign oil as quickly as possible.