Friday, December 11, 2009

Dissertation Defense

Overview of my dissertation!

Friday, December 4, 2009

Time for Solar?


When will solar finally hit prime time? According to Halal (2008), solar is still too expensive with photovoltaic cells costing $3-$4.00 per watt to build; gas and oil is currently at $0.40 per watt. Estimates of total solar costs are (which include usage) to be between $.20-$.40 per kilowatt hour and oil is much lower at $.04-$.12 per kilowatt hour. But nanotechnology can make solar more affordable by creating plastic solar cells at $.20 per watt with an increase in efficiency.


So, when will solar become mainstream? Halal (2008) suggests that the solar costs will become competitive with other energy sources between 2012-2015.


*Halal, W. (2008). Technology's Promise: Knowledge on the Transformation of Business and Society. Palgrave Macmillan, NY.