Nanosolar is announcing today that they will be selling lower cost solar panels.

Using its new manufacturing process that “prints” photovoltaic material on aluminum backing, ot says it can slash prices up to 80%. These photovoltaic panels are being made in Silicon Valley as well as in Germany.

Nanosolar’s founder and CEO, Martin Roscheisen, claims to be able to sell solar panels for less than $1 a watt, and still at a profit.

“With a $1-per-watt panel,” he said, “it is possible to build $2-per-watt systems.”

More good news from the company — it chose to build its plant in San Jose instead of Asia as most of the microelectronics industry. Good for them and good for us.

They should have done this a long time ago. With all that direct sun real estate at stadiums, installing solar panels is so logical.

AT&T Park, the home of the San Francisco Giants, is now sporting 590 Sharp solar panels producing 120-kilowatts of electricity. That equals about 40 residential solar systems.

Now we need more to pick up the idea and run with it.