system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5 What are the technological advancements that have made solar power so much more economically viable over the last decade or so?
gpt
They are somewhat more efficient now, but the real revolution has been that the cost to produce them has gone down by orders of magnitude since the 1980’s when the silicon based tech we use today was introduced. If it’s cheap to make in bulk then suddenly a huge field with panels becomes an affordable option, even if the efficiency tops out at around 15%. 

In the near future however we’re likely to see that change, with perovskite based panels boasting greater efficiencies, lower costs, and *far* less waste from the process of making them.