The World in 2030

The World in 2030 213
in the construction of offshore turbines) and better ways
of storing and conducting power will be developed. Wind
power will play an important role in the energy mix of 2030,
but it must not be developed to the exclusion of other
renewable energy source technologies, the most important
and exciting of which is solar power.
Solar Power
Unlike wind turbine technology, the development of solar
devices which convert the sun’s radiation into electricity (solar
photovoltaic) and devices which convert it into heat (solar
thermal) is complex. A great deal of further development in
terms of efficiency (how much of the sun’s power can they
capture and convert) and in reducing the cost of the capture
and conversion devices is required.
In its survey of renewable energy sources The Economist
reviewed the progress that has been made in solar photovoltaic
cell development:
The efficiency with which solar photovoltaic cells
convert sunlight to electricity has increased from 6%
when they were first developed to 15% now. Their
cost has dropped from around $20 per watt of production
capacity in the 1970s to $2.70 in 2004 (though a
silicon shortage has pushed prices up since). 407
Although the wind blows very unevenly around the planet,
the sun’s radiation strikes our world in more predictable