Surprisingly Diverse Innovations Led to Dramatically Cheaper Solar Panels

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Surprisingly Diverse Innovations Led to Dramatically Cheaper Solar Panels

New research can identify opportunities to drive down the cost of renewable energy systems, batteries, and many other technologies.

Surprisingly diverse innovations led to dramatically cheaper solar panels

Boston MA (SPX) Aug 13, 2025 The cost of solar panels has dropped by more than 99 percent since the 1970s, enabling widespread adoption of photovoltaic systems that convert sunlight into electricity. A new MIT study drills down on specific innovations that enabled such dramatic cost reductions, revealing that technical advances across a web of diverse research efforts and industries played a pivotal role. The fi