Advances seen cutting solar costs

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Solar panels made out of special semiconductors could produce electricity at a similar cost as the electricity produced by coal.

Nanosolar, a technology firm in San Jose, Calif., makes solar cells out of a CIGS semiconductor, which uses copper, indium, gallium and selenium. These nano-panels can produce electricity at 5-6 cents per kilowatt hour.

The cost is much less than most solar power, which costs about 18-22 cents per KW hour, MIT Technology Review reported.

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