[MainFrame65]

If it gets to 10% I would be surprised. Solar becomes a "continuous" source only when combined with sufficient energy storage to fill in ALL of the output gaps. But it makes a fine supplemental source, and its peak output corresponds to some peak usage profiles, but not others. It simply cannot work as a baseload source. For that we have to go back to the real continuous sources - hydro, coal and oil, gas, and nuclear.

As for this particular article, higher efficiency reduces collection area, but not the other disadvantages. Clouds will still reduce output significantly, if perhaps less than older cells. However, the ability to produce electricity from lower-energy photons will broaden the utility of these new cells, when (if?) they finally get them out the door.

[Carry_Okie]

One must also look at solar cell efficiency as a system including both storage hysteresis and junction losses when converting it to AC.

It may eventually be a practical power source for remote locations where line losses and maintenance are expensive, but in many of those applications it would rightly have to compete with bio-mass cogeneration.