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LouSanous t1_iy4302w wrote

Reply to comment by ThatOtherGuy_CA in News Release: NREL Creates Highest Efficiency 1-Sun Solar Cell - 39.5% efficiency by TimeSpentWasting

>So you might as well just build 2 50% efficiency panels rather than 1 51% one

The most recent info I was able to find shows it to be like 300:1. Standard utility scale solar panels in the 20% efficiency range are 1/300 the cost of triple junction GaAs.

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ThatOtherGuy_CA t1_iy47zui wrote

Yup, which is why you pretty much only see them in space applications. Because the weight saved can save enough fuel costs to offset the insane price increases.

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LouSanous t1_iy4fmek wrote

I'm not sure how much it costs spaceX with their reusable rockets (and given that Musk is in charge, I would bet that he never did achieve the multiple orders of magnitude cheaper costs he promised), but prior to the space shuttle cost per kg into space was $18,500. After the space shuttle, $54,500/kg.

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