Innovation Centre
Demand for Green Energy
For comparison purposes, total worldwide wind energy installations in 2000 were around 4000 Megawatts, growing at about 35% pa. Cumulative solar energy production accounts for less than 0.01% of total Global Primary Energy demand. Solar Energy demand has grown at about 30% per annum over the past 15 years (hydrocarbon energy demand typically grows between 0-2% per annum).
On the supply side, the amount of product manufactured by PV cell manufacturers worldwide reached a consolidated 6.85 gigawatts in 2008. Japan has taken over from the United States as the largest net exporter of PV cells and modules. Japan accounted for around 39% of total global cell production in 2006.
Efficiency
Solar Energy (photovoltaic) prices have declined on average 4% per annum over the past 15 years. Progressive increase in conversion efficiencies and manufacturing economies of scale are the underlying drivers. A residential solar energy system typically costs about $8-10 per Watt. Where government incentive programs exist, together with lower prices secured through volume purchases, installed costs as low as $3-4 watt. 
An average crystalline silicon cell solar module has an efficiency of 15%, an average DSSC cell solar module has an efficiency of 6% at present. However, the manufacturing costs are dramatically lower.
The earth receives more energy from the sun in just one hour than the world uses in a whole year. Two billion people in the world have no access to electricity. For most of them, solar photovoltaics would be their cheapest electricity source, but they cannot afford it.
Demand
Crystalline Silicon cell technology forms about 90% of solar cell demand. The balance comes from thin film technologies including DSSC. Approximately 45% of the cost of a silicon cell solar module is driven by the cost of the silicon wafer, a further 35% is driven by the materials required to assemble the solar module.
SolarPrint aims to position itself as a low cost, ethical, high technology developer who can
bring cheap and independent effective power to the masses. (source www.solarbuzz.com)