According to Reuters, Nanosolar, a privately held solar energy company whose backers include co-founders of Google has started to sell what it calls “the world’s lowest cost solar panel.”

The company, which got early stage financing from Google Inc co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, uses a thin-film technology that requires only a fraction of the amount of silicon needed in conventional solar cells. Nanosolar’s technique allows it to make panels profitably for less than $1 per watt, it says.

Nanosolar!