In the last decade, manufacturing costs for solar photovoltaic cells have declined 90% while sales have climbed to $150 million per year – a volume representing 30,000 kilowatts of electrical generating capacity (enough for 10,000 homes).
Among other things, solar cells now power half a billion calculators. And research progress suggests they will have the capacity to provide at least 30% of our electricity in the relatively near future.
As reported in WorldWatch magazine, Sep/Oct 1988, p. 42.