Abstract :
Much has been written and continues to be on alternative energy sources in our soon to be energy-short world. One of the alternatives being ´kicked´ around in this respect, is photovoltiac power generation using silicon solar cells. With all the seeming euphoric, treatment that these and other ´new energy sources´ receive in the press and elsewhere, it is considered apposite at this time to review the economics of the situation in regard of photovoltiac´s, and attempt an analysis of the tradeoff´s between power level, service life, and current state-of-the-art costs, for a power supply giving up to 2.5KW of power, with comparable reliability to wired supplies. This will hopefully highlight the continuing necessity for emphasis on the reduction of production costs, and increase of conversion efficiency, of these potentially effective devices in power supplies for telecommunications.
