Solar Cell Surpasses 40 Percent Efficiency~ (NREL) verified the milestone.
Sunlight is ~1 kW/m^2 at peak, and only on during the day, and only about .2 of that averaged over a full, sunny day. Less when there are clouds, rain, etc. These devices have holes between them, about half the area or a little less. So say 100 W/m^2 generated, average. So, to equal the power output of a 10 GW nuke, you'd need 10^8 m^2, or 10 km x 10 km of these things, 6 miles x 6 miles - about the size of a city. Care to estimate the real estate cost of that, vs. the nuke power plant? Let alone the cost of the millions of arrays? Solar energy is too dilute to run cities with, let alone nations. Individual houses, maybe, for the rich, but only for the rich. And only then with the generous tax incentives ( = market distortions) provided for "renewable" energy. It isn't environmentally friendly, though, no trees allowed, they make shade.