Solar power edges towards boom time

[jpak]

http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSL1878986220071019

LONDON (Reuters) - Solar power could be the world's number one electricity source by the end of the century, but until now its role has been negligible as producers wait for price parity with fossil fuels, industry leaders say.

Once the choice only of idealists who put the environment before economics, production of solar panels will double both next year and in 2009, according to U.S. investment bank Jefferies Group Inc, driven by government support especially in Germany and Japan.

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Very sunny countries could reach that breakeven in five years or so, and even cloudy Britain by 2020.

"At that point you can expect pretty much unbounded growth," General Electric Co's Chief Engineer Jim Lyons told the Jefferies conference in London on Thursday, referring to price parity in sunny parts of the United States by around 2015.

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[Kolesar]

1. Several states have Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards & that is going to drive sales...

...by these photovoltaic vendors for the next decade. Hopefully, that new, high scale of production will drive costs to below utility production costs in that period.