Mark Nelson, a CalFinder Solar reader, raised a very poignant question in response to the myriad of posts on new solar technology and innovations:

If you have all this new solar technology, why is it not available to be used?

The answer to that valid question depends on a variety of factors, from available funding for further research and development to the actual readiness of the technology for mass production. The latter is, in my opinion, the more accurate answer.

While some investors are pulling back a bit in the face of dark economic times ahead, and solar installations are expected to slow in 2009, renewable energy — solar in particular — should still remain relatively strong in terms of funding. Solar power represents more a way to climb out of economic depression than something to be discarded until times are brighter.

Solar technology is progressing fast in several different sectors, from revolutionary solar cells to defeating the shade factor to panel design. But it is important to bear in mind that when we report on these innovations, they are usually still in the laboratory phase.

In other words, scientists may have researched and completed initial testing on a product — such as a nano solar cell. They then release their promising findings to the world and we report on it. But these innovations, while very exciting and buzzworthy, still require development and often a bit more tweaking to make them ready for use.

For a more specific example, let’s look at dye-sensitized solar cells, which hold amazing potential in wide application including solar paint, solar windows, and more. You may even see innovations such as these implemented in what you might call exhibitory installations — a chance to show off their potential.

But the big question still remains: Can dye-sensitized solar cells (or insert any other new technology) compete with current, mass produced solar technology? For now, that answer is not quite. Dye-sensitized and other third generation solar cells all promise extremely cheap production as soon as the infrastructure for manufacturing them is built up.

But efficiency is still an issue. Again, recent breakthroughs are promising, such as reaching 10% conversion efficiency, but at least a few years of further development and implementation are undoubtedly necessary.

Plus there are a slew of other factors including durability: Can a solar paint last 25 years or longer like a solar panel? or Can it be cheaply retrofitted onto existing homes? The list goes on and on into more intricate details. While the actual installation of solar panels gets simpler and simpler, the development of new technologies remains very complex.

Posted on February 2nd in Solar Information by Dan.