For a long time it has seemed that affordable solar panels were not going to happen in the foreseeable future; however, a breakthrough from the HelioVolt Corporation has raised the possibility that we just might. HelioVolt has managed to produce thin film solar panels with a 12.2% conversion rate.

12.2% seems highly unremarkable, especially when compared to Sanyo’s recent 22% effort; however it is worth remembering that this is thin-film solar and that the panels are being printed with a proprietary FASST reactive transfer printing process that produces solar cells 10 to 100 times faster than their competition. The potential is that this could lead to solar power at less than $1 per watt, the magical number where solar really starts to compete with fossil fuel power. [HelioVolt via Gizmag]

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