GE brings solar panels to life!
Electronics giant General Electric (GE) announced last week that it is getting into the thin-film solar panels industry. In a new partnership with PrimeStar Solar, GE will start R&D of cadmium telluride solar cells, with an eye toward marketing its own cad tel solar modules next year.
In the so-called “cad tel solar” market, only First Solar has managed to be a significant mass producer of the cells.
Now, GE is poised to step into the lucrative market!
General Electric’s move is long in the making. In 2007, GE invested in PrimeStar, a cad tel start-up, and the became the majority shareholder in 2008.
Finally, after nearly 2 years, GE has finally announced that it will work with PrimeStar to develop cad tel solar panels. GE plans to sell the panels for utility-scale solar plants.
Danielle Merfeld, the leader of GE’s solar research and developmen, stated that the company is looking to differentiate itself with respect to solar technical capability. Cad tel could be the least expensive type of solar panels. Just last year, First Solar broke the $1/watt barrier in thin film solar manufacturing. GE could threaten to “de-throne” the company with respect to its leadership position in solar R&D.
With the resources and expertise of GE, the race to continually lower the cost of thin film panels is on. Of course, the lower the cost, the less expensive solar electricity rates would be for end-user customers who get power from the utilities that are served by solar power plants.
Bring on the competition, I say!
Tags: cadmuium telluride solar cells, first solar, general electric, primestar solar, solar cells, thin film solar, thin film solar panels, utility scale solar plants
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