Nanosolar is working on next generation solar technology. They are not going for high efficiency panels that convert a larger range of the electromagnetic spectrum into electricty, they are going for cheap solar panels that can be implemented in large scales for a must lower cost than traditional solar technology. This technology will allow homes to have their entire roof covered in solar technology, and the material can be placed in other strategic locations.

The NREL has certified Nanosolar’s panels at upwards of 16.4% efficiency. Clearly this is a relatively low number, but the cost of the panels are approximately 10% (90% less) the cost of tranditional silicon technologies. The new technology, once mass production and widepread available come to fruition, will change the face of power production and utilization in the World.

The holy grail of solar cost and capital efficiency has long been unlocking the key to how one could deposit a thin film of a semiconductor—100x thinner than a silicon wafer—using a printing process—100x faster than conventional high-vacuum deposition—and create an efficient, durable solar cell.

The panel factory is automated to sustain a production rate of one panel every ten seconds, or an annual capacity of 640MW when operated 24×7. Nanosolar also today announced that serial production in its San Jose, California, cell production factory commenced earlier this year.[Source]