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PHOTOVOLTAIC TECHNOLOGY AND MARKETS
Author(s) -
CALDWELL JAMES H.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
contemporary economic policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.454
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1465-7287
pISSN - 1074-3529
DOI - 10.1111/j.1465-7287.1994.tb00426.x
Subject(s) - photovoltaic system , economics , natural resource economics , business , engineering , electrical engineering
Photovoltaics—“solar power”—retains a strong fascination as a future sustainable energy source for the planet some 120 years after its discovery, 80 years after Einstein explained its physics, 30 years after the first laboratory device was produced, and 25 years after its first commercial application. This paper examines the market for photovoltaics at prices above those required for competitive bulk grid‐connected wholesale electricity, surveys current and possible future manufacturing technologies, describes the processes of technology introduction and manufacturing cost reduction, and discusses policy implications.