While the scientific principles of solar PV were established in the 20th century, the true commercial revolution occurred between **2010 and 2024**. This period witnessed one of the most dramatic cost reductions in industrial history, with global module prices falling by nearly **90%**.
What drove this change?
1. Scale: Massive manufacturing expansion in Asia created economies of scale.
2. Wafer Tech: Improvements in wafer thinness reduced silicon consumption.
3. Efficiency: New cell architectures moved beyond standard Aluminum Back Surface Field (Al-BSF) technology.
During this decade, high-efficiency technologies like **PERC (Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell)**, **TOPCon (Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact)**, and **HJT (Heterojunction)** moved from labs to factory floors. These technologies pushed commercial module efficiencies above **22%**, allowing for more power in less space. They also improved performance in real-world conditions, such as low-light mornings or high-temperature afternoons. This era transformed solar from a niche, subsidized technology into the cheapest source of new electricity in many parts of the world.
