Since fossil fuels utilized to generate power contribute to the majority of CO2 emissions, the new advances in solar power are especially exciting. Oregon State University has developed a process of using an inkjet printer to control waste of valuable alloys when creating solar cells. If perfected, the new process could greatly reduce the cost of solar panels.
Another bit of good news involves a study authored by scientists at the Universities of Sheffield and Cambridge. Basically, utilizing a new process, a breakthrough has been achieved that could allow mass production of polymer based solar cells. Polymer or plastic solar cells are less expensive than silicon cells to manufacture. So much cheaper that the technology could provide answers to energy demands in both the developed and developing world.