Comments on: Solar panel prices to fall by up to 40 per cent by year end http://climateprogress.org/2009/02/24/solar-panel-prices-to-fall-by-up-to-40-per-cent-by-year-end/ The Latest on Climate Science, Solutions, and Politics Sun, 21 Mar 2010 05:20:00 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: home solar power http://climateprogress.org/2009/02/24/solar-panel-prices-to-fall-by-up-to-40-per-cent-by-year-end/#comment-32186 home solar power Thu, 12 Mar 2009 04:40:50 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2009/02/24/solar-panel-prices-to-fall-by-up-to-40-per-cent-by-year-end/#comment-32186 It is great to save money from our electricity bills. Saving is really important nowadays, we have to earn more in order to live graciously. The sun is a gift from God, that we really need. It is great to save money from our electricity bills.
Saving is really important nowadays, we have to earn more in order to live graciously. The sun is a gift from God, that we really need.

]]> By: Robert Merkel http://climateprogress.org/2009/02/24/solar-panel-prices-to-fall-by-up-to-40-per-cent-by-year-end/#comment-30662 Robert Merkel Wed, 25 Feb 2009 03:16:25 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2009/02/24/solar-panel-prices-to-fall-by-up-to-40-per-cent-by-year-end/#comment-30662 There's an interesting comment on the bottom of that Business Green article, which suggests that the current price for solar-grade polysilicon is about $130, not the $40-50 suggested in the article. Can anybody confirm this information? Secondly, does anybody have ballpark figures on how much polysilicon there is in a watt of (conventional) solar capacity? There’s an interesting comment on the bottom of that Business Green article, which suggests that the current price for solar-grade polysilicon is about $130, not the $40-50 suggested in the article.

Can anybody confirm this information?

Secondly, does anybody have ballpark figures on how much polysilicon there is in a watt of (conventional) solar capacity?

]]> By: Alex 77 http://climateprogress.org/2009/02/24/solar-panel-prices-to-fall-by-up-to-40-per-cent-by-year-end/#comment-30633 Alex 77 Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:27:12 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2009/02/24/solar-panel-prices-to-fall-by-up-to-40-per-cent-by-year-end/#comment-30633 John/Darth - Residential PV installations generally have a gross cost of $20-$40k, depending on how much energy you want to produce. The net cost, however, is vastly lower in many states. CA, OR, CO, HI, NJ, AZ, NY FL, & MA, just to name a few states, offer rebate and/or state tax credits which bring solar system costs down considerably. Combine those with the 30% Federal Tax Credit, and a homeowner ends up often paying only 20-50% of the gross system cost. I live in Oregon, and just installed a 4 kW DC solar system with a gross cost of $29,000. After the state rebate program, tax credit, and federal tax credit, I'll end up having paid just over $8,000 - 28% of the original price. Solar is very attractive many places right now. Go to this website to see what solar incentives are available to your area - www.dsireusa.org. John/Darth –

Residential PV installations generally have a gross cost of $20-$40k, depending on how much energy you want to produce. The net cost, however, is vastly lower in many states.

CA, OR, CO, HI, NJ, AZ, NY FL, & MA, just to name a few states, offer rebate and/or state tax credits which bring solar system costs down considerably.

Combine those with the 30% Federal Tax Credit, and a homeowner ends up often paying only 20-50% of the gross system cost.

I live in Oregon, and just installed a 4 kW DC solar system with a gross cost of $29,000. After the state rebate program, tax credit, and federal tax credit, I’ll end up having paid just over $8,000 – 28% of the original price.

Solar is very attractive many places right now. Go to this website to see what solar incentives are available to your area – http://www.dsireusa.org.

]]> By: John Hollenberg http://climateprogress.org/2009/02/24/solar-panel-prices-to-fall-by-up-to-40-per-cent-by-year-end/#comment-30585 John Hollenberg Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:34:53 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2009/02/24/solar-panel-prices-to-fall-by-up-to-40-per-cent-by-year-end/#comment-30585 Darth, Good question. My sister was thinking about putting solar on her roof a few months ago, but decided the $40,000-50,000 price was too high. If the prices decrease by 40%, rooftop solar would be a much more attractive option. Darth,

Good question. My sister was thinking about putting solar on her roof a few months ago, but decided the $40,000-50,000 price was too high. If the prices decrease by 40%, rooftop solar would be a much more attractive option.

]]> By: Greg Robie http://climateprogress.org/2009/02/24/solar-panel-prices-to-fall-by-up-to-40-per-cent-by-year-end/#comment-30570 Greg Robie Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:41:15 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2009/02/24/solar-panel-prices-to-fall-by-up-to-40-per-cent-by-year-end/#comment-30570 darth, how about thirty years ago . . . unless you, like the rest of us, wanted our kids and grand kids to live with hell and high water (which is, in fact, what has been, and with quandaries like this, is still, our choice). The smart grid "solution" to jump-starting the use of renewables is a strategy that similarly panders to such quandaries. Getting consumers to think "like yesterday," as an answer to your question and to reduce our consuming of carbon fossil fuels for electricity, is something leadership is still shying away from. Do you think this is could be because the smart grid and large centrally owned and managed alternative electrical generation is a capital intensive approach that is of interest to the monied elite (for they can invest large sums of cash for long periods of time at all-but-guaranteed high rates of return--like nuclear plant construction did in the '60s and '70s), and/or because the consumer doesn't want to take responsibility for figuring out how to live sustainably relative to our energy intensive lifestyle choices? darth, how about thirty years ago . . . unless you, like the rest of us, wanted our kids and grand kids to live with hell and high water (which is, in fact, what has been, and with quandaries like this, is still, our choice). The smart grid “solution” to jump-starting the use of renewables is a strategy that similarly panders to such quandaries. Getting consumers to think “like yesterday,” as an answer to your question and to reduce our consuming of carbon fossil fuels for electricity, is something leadership is still shying away from.

Do you think this is could be because the smart grid and large centrally owned and managed alternative electrical generation is a capital intensive approach that is of interest to the monied elite (for they can invest large sums of cash for long periods of time at all-but-guaranteed high rates of return–like nuclear plant construction did in the ’60s and ’70s), and/or because the consumer doesn’t want to take responsibility for figuring out how to live sustainably relative to our energy intensive lifestyle choices?

]]> By: darth http://climateprogress.org/2009/02/24/solar-panel-prices-to-fall-by-up-to-40-per-cent-by-year-end/#comment-30560 darth Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:22:27 +0000 http://climateprogress.org/2009/02/24/solar-panel-prices-to-fall-by-up-to-40-per-cent-by-year-end/#comment-30560 So when should I consider putting solar on my roof? This fall? We also have the 30% tax credit (unlimited) so the combination may make it a no brainer this year. So when should I consider putting solar on my roof? This fall? We also have the 30% tax credit (unlimited) so the combination may make it a no brainer this year.

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