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SW: added comparison to coal
Photovoltaic power is electricity generated by photovoltaic or "solar" cells, which convert light energy from the sun into electrical energy.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cell 1] Solar cells have come a long way, both in efficiency and cost,[http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS79707+21-Aug-2008+PRN20080821 2] and are an increasingly viable and common way to offset electricity use, both domestic and commercial[http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE52J5VW20090320 3]. The key drawback in solar energy generation is that when the sun goes down, there is no new energy created. As such, it's use is dependent on storage of energy for use during the night. However, as one article points out, its electricity production maximizes at under the same conditions that tend to overtax powergrids; hot sunny days. [http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-GreenBusiness/idUSTRE52J5VW20090320 3]. A number of storage options have also been implemented or suggested, ranging from high capacity electric batteries, to compressed air storage to use to turn turbines, to hydrogen generation for use in fuel cells. [http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=a-solar-grand-plan 4]
Solar "farms" can be set up in land that is not suited for other purposes like farming, making it relatively cheap. Typically, such farms are most viable in locations away from cities, requiring High Voltage Direct Current lines to be installed to transport the power.[http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=a-solar-grand-plan 5] Another key benefit of solar panels is that they can be installed with little to no impact on their environment, making them ideal for on-site energy generation, reducing losses incurred in transportation of energy.
Currently, coal power is seen as cheeper to cleaner or more renewable sources of power. the Standard and Poore chart cited in"The War on Coal: Think Outside the (Coal) Pits"<ref name="KhoVen"> "[http://www.khoslaventures.com/presentations/CoalThinkOutsidethePits.pdf The War on Coal: Think Outside the (Coal) Pits,]," Khosla Ventures, 2007 (PDF file).</ref> lists the average baseline cost for pulverized coal at 5.8 cents per kilowatt hour (c/kwh), or the more realistic cost of coal power generated from Powder River Basin (PRB) coal, a coal which usually has fewer contaminants and therefor somewhat bypasses the sulfur caps on coal fired generation, is priced at 6.8 c/kwh. By comparison, the same chart lists wind at 7.1 c/kwh (while noting shortages and energy transportation factors are not included) and concentrated solar (CSP) at between 7 and 11 c/kwh.
The "The War on Coal: Think Outside the (Coal) Pits"<ref name= "KhoVen"/> article goes on to suggest that the price of coal fired power is going up due to a variety of reasons and is poised to do so even further, perhaps cataclysmicaly so. Further, the house and senate have been hamering out bills to reduce carbon emissions from power generation, and even energy execs expect at least a carbon cap trading system to be in place within a few years. This alone is likely, even in the more moderate estimates, to drive the cost of coal generation to be within the same range as renewables: 7.9 c/kwh for pulverized coal, 8.4 c/kwh with powder river basin coal according to the same S&P chart<ref name="KhoVen"/>. Meanwhile, as renewable energy markets expand, the setup associated costs will go down as both technology becomes more available and established plants pay off their initial costs, meaning that the price for renewable power is only going to go down. (reference pending)
==Resources==