The barrier is breaking.  Affordable solar on par with conventional costs minus the ongoing fossil fuel consumption.   Arizona based First Solar announced a .98 cent per watt production cost. 

The prices of most products are still in the $3-4 per watt price range. First Solar was founded by a glass expert with 40 years experience.   The experience is paying off.  The company has been selling solar modules since 2004 and ramped up production at a steady rate to meet the solar demand.

The price of silicon has dropped so expect to see lower silicon based solar products but getting below $1 per watt with a greater than 10% efficiency is worth a look.   While the company can say they have broken the price barrier we also take into account efficiency.   The press release did not state the efficiency so we are still trying to find out that detail.  This is a must watch company.