I think solar PV is great, not for the same reason that many companies trying to stuff their solar panels into everyone’s home regardless of the economics (or the lack of it), think.
I think the biggest advantage of solar PV is its modularity. You just want 10 W of solar power? No problem. Is 10 W too large for you? You want a micro sensor that is powered by solar PV? NP, once again.
This modularity, combined with the flexibility that recent advances in thin films provide, will enable solar power to be embedded into a whole lots of components that constitute our habitat and our actions.
This was what came to my mind when I read about how solar panels are being used to produce power for American soldiers
Expect to see a whole lot of creative companies and entrepreneurs use solar cells in amazing ways to produce interesting and useful results, and at high premiums – a far cry from the “Where is the money” cry from everyone in the solar ecosystem.