SunShot Initiative: Cost-Competitive Solar Energy (Energy Science, Engineering and Technology; Energy Policies, Politics and Prices)

The SunShot Initiative was launched in February 2011 with the goal of making solar energy cost-competitive with conventional electricity generating technologies within the decade. Achieving this goal will require dramatic decreases in the cost structure of solar technologies, on the order of a 75% reduction, across all markets including residential, commercial and utility-scale deployments of solar. To do this most effectively, the SunShot Initiative spans the full spectrum from basic science to applied research and development. This book explores the implications of achieving the SunShot Initiative's targets both in terms of potential benefits as well as potential challenges.