As far as alternatives are concerned, solar probably has the greatest potential. I know that solar collecting crystals have been produced in a lab that are some 80% efficient but can’t be mass produced yet. Current technology can mass produce solar collectors that are some 20 to 30% efficient.
If we can ever mate mass production with 80% collection efficiency (at a reasonable cost) we’ll see solar take off.
From what I’ve read, 80% efficient collectors could mean solar collectors for the home that are only a few square feet rather than dozens of square feet. In fact with that kind of efficiency, solar starts to become viable even in cloudier and more northerly locations.
I’d like to know what companies are trying to commercialize this approach. They would be a far better financial bet than the ones doing windmills and (of all things) carbon sequestation.
80% is a large number.
The present DARPA goal is 50%.
You’ve still got to get around the work function. This puts a theoretical limit on the efficiency of these devices. Now could we chemically change the work function........?????
The special lab produced solar cells are strugling to get to 40% effiency.
Mass produced solar cells vary from the teens for crystaline and less than ten percent effiency for amorphous and nonsilicon cells.