Solar energy has the wind in poop in the United States. And it is not the study published by the Solar Catalyst Group and Klin Edge who will deny him. The experts think that the United States could draw 10 % of their electricity of the sun in 2025, by combining the photovoltaic installations and the solar power stations with concentration.

Installed solar electrical power should attain 3000 MW from the end of this year in the United States. Facing the rise of the course of the barrel and abandonments of plans of power stations with coal, solar energy appears as an appeal, notably in the west of the country, which will be soon competitive, according to the study published this week. The photovoltaic panels of crystalline silicon give today an electricity price of which varies the kilowatt-hour between 0,19$ and 0,32$; he should be divided by two in ten years. Panels in slim layers could produce an electricity, in 2015, around 4 - 7 hundred (of dollar) the kWh, three times less expensive than today. In summary, solar electricity would be then at the same price as that given by the coal or the atom.

To reach the objective of 10 % of solar electricity to the United States, the authors of study think that it will be necessary to invest between 450 and 560 thousand million dollars before 2025, that is 26 - 33 thousand million dollars a year. They underline that the irruption of new actors on the market could speed up the fall of costs. This week, the giant of the semidrivers Intel besides confirmed his interest for photovoltaic technology by creating a subsidiary which will fabricate panels of silicon. IBM develops shone its own technology of cells with slim layers, which he will sell under licence. And the funds of investment which financed Silicon Valley for twenty-five years rush towards start-up of solar energy. Near one thousand million capitals were invested by these funds in solar energy last year in the United States. And the innovative products increase, as the sticky solar panels for roofs - terraces commercialised by Lumeta Solar in the United States. A video shows how much principle simplifies the installation (and its cost).

• The study of the Solar Catalyst Group and Klin Edge (in English)

Picture: © Lumeta