SolFocus aims to beat coal with the sun

When it comes to photovoltaic (PV) systems, the PV components are generally the most expensive pieces of the puzzle. So upping the power output through the use of less expensive materials can greatly reduce the cost per generated kilowatt hour of electricity.

SolFocus is laying out a strategy for their concentrated solar power (CSP) systems to attain cost parity (or even beat) traditional fossil-fuel energy systems, even without a price on carbon.

SolFocus' CSP panels use two different mirrors to focus the sun's energy 500 times before directing the light onto a very small, highly efficient solar cell. Because the cell is so small, they can use much more expensive (and efficient) PV cells.

The vast majority of the system -- "over 95%" -- is either aluminum or glass and uses traditionally fairly inexpensive and easy-to-find materials from recycled sources. The system is fully enclosed, to keep everything clean (just imagine cleaning 500 tiny mirrors once a month).

Materials costs are low, maintenance costs are low, and efficiency is high. Looks like an equation for cheap solar to me.

Their preliminary efforts suggest that they might have the lowest cradle-to-grave carbon footprint of any energy option available at this time. If true, this makes SolFocus' option for solar electricity just that much more appealing.