The viability of solar photovoltaics

This paper summarises the contributions to a special issue of Energy Policy aiming to assess the viability of solar photovoltaics (PVs) as a mainstrea m electricity supply technology for the 21(st) Century. It highlights the c omplex nature of such an assessment in which technical, economic, environme ntal, social, institutional and policy questions all play a part. The autho rs summarise briefly the individual contributions to the special issue and draw out a number of common themes which emerge from them, for example: the vast physical potential of PVs, the environmental and resource advantages of some PV technologies, and the fluidity of the market. Most of the author s accept that the current high costs will fall substantially in the coming decade as a result of improved technologies, increased integration into bui lding structures and economies of scale in production. In spite of such rea ssurances, energy policymakers still respond to the dilemma of PVs with som e hesitancy and prefer to leave its evolution mainly in the hands of the ma rket. This paper highlights two clear dangers inherent in this approach: fi rstly, that short-term cost convergence may not serve long-term sustainabil ity goals; and secondly, that laggards in the race to develop new energy sy stems may find themselves faced with long-term penalties. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.