See here for story:
http://www.newsroom.ucla.edu/page.asp?RelNum=6518
They reckon the plastic cells, verified by NREL at 4.4% efficient, could cost as little as a tenth of today's silicon-based solar cells!
They are confident they can double the efficiency in the near future, with a longer term target of 15-20% efficiency and a lifespan of 15-20 years.
By my (amateur) calculations, that suggests that a metre square of this plastic stuff could end up costing only $40. In some desert areas of the States, 1 metre squared of flat land receives an amount of incident solar radiation averaging 2,500 kilowatt-hours per year. Assuming a 15% efficiency, the plastic cells could recover up to 375 kWh per m2 per year. At 5 cents per kWh wholesale, that's an income of $19 per year. It could pay itself back in two years time!
Plastic solar cells now 4.4% efficient!
