The Quest for Cheap, Reliable Solar Energy

The Trends editors have long argued that government subsidies and regulations aimed at forcing deployment of today’s solar technology would be the epitome of what we call dumb-tech. Nothing is worse for an economy than subsidizing bad solutions. It stymies worthwhile innovation, while creating a false sense of accomplishment. But what if solar energy economics could really make a quantum leap in efficiency, effectively making this technology “as cheap as coal”? Is such a leap realistic? If so, what are the hurdles and opportunities that lie ahe.....