What Gore Didn't Say About Solar Cells

AmericanInKiev writes "Computer World posted a piece on Al Gore and his claim that solar cells will improve at the same rate as microprocessors. Vinod Khosla on the other hand has expressed disappointment that the doubling rate for price/performance of PV is 10 years rather than 18 months for transistors. Which of these two has the facts on their side?" Before anyone has him inventing the Internet again, note that Gore's claim as related in the article is much milder than that Moore's Law applies to solar cells per se -- namely, he's quoted as saying "We're now beginning to see the same kind of sharp cost reductions as the demand grows for solar cells." An optimistic statement, but not a flat-out silly one.

Comments

Re:Al Gore and the Internet

[Sparky McGruff]

You people and your facts. Why should I bother looking up pesky facts when they just get in the way of a good argument? Facts are for losers. Rants are for closers!

Re:Here we Go....

[SnowZero]

Any one that has tried using a magnifying glass to light tings on fire, should know that you have to aim it pretty well for this to work

So, what you're saying is that we should hire 7-year-olds to control the lenses, and put ants around the high efficiency cell. Got it.

Re:it's not a huge stretch

[h4rm0ny]

Quite aside from that, do you honestly believe that that one statement was the reason Gore lost the election?

He lost?

Re:Here we Go....

[Bazer]

I dunno, it just seems we're a bit heavy on the science experiments and little to slow on the Yankee Ingenuity these days.

That's coming from a guy with a homepage on "WaveBlankets".

Re:Here we Go....

[bunratty]

did I mention they cost 100 times as much

The cost will be reduced sharply as demand grows.