Comments on: First Solar Breaks $1/Watt Barrier for Photovoltaics http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/02/25/first-solar-breaks-1-per-watt-barrier-for-photovoltaics/ Environmental Leader Fri, 25 May 2012 22:05:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: BobW http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/02/25/first-solar-breaks-1-per-watt-barrier-for-photovoltaics/comment-page-1/#comment-110925 BobW Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:20:25 +0000 http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=10706#comment-110925 Jack Pouchet: I don't understand why you are outraged. Subsidies always raise the price of a good or service. The hybrid tax credit just got added to the price of the car. This is the same thing. Jack Pouchet:

I don’t understand why you are outraged. Subsidies always raise the price of a good or service. The hybrid tax credit just got added to the price of the car. This is the same thing.

]]> By: Jack Pouchet http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/02/25/first-solar-breaks-1-per-watt-barrier-for-photovoltaics/comment-page-1/#comment-110788 Jack Pouchet Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:54:09 +0000 http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=10706#comment-110788 Well congratulations to First Solar for driving the price of solar power down with their thin-film panels and excellent manufacturing processes. So what I am wondering is if PV panels are now $1/watt, Inverters are under a $1/watt, copper has dropped significantly in price, mounting racks/rails are dirt cheap then why oh why does it cost so darn much to have a solar PV system installed? I challenge LBL to back their $7.6 / watt installed claim as my continual research at the residential power level in California indicates the rates are in the $9.50 to $11 range. It appears that the industry is merely taking advantage of the ITC and utility incentives/rebates to line their pockets with profits at the expense of the consumer. The solar industry better start to regulate itself and curtail the practice of fleecing the consumer. Otherwise the government is going to step and and demand accountability perhaps to the point of regulating prices. Actually - given the recent stimulus bill with billions earmarked for renewables maybe now is exactly the right time to bring the government in to drive some sanity in the pricing models that are being forced on consumers and ultimately taking away much needed tax dollars that could be used to drive further solar/wind/natural gas deployments. Well congratulations to First Solar for driving the price of solar power down with their thin-film panels and excellent manufacturing processes. So what I am wondering is if PV panels are now $1/watt, Inverters are under a $1/watt, copper has dropped significantly in price, mounting racks/rails are dirt cheap then why oh why does it cost so darn much to have a solar PV system installed?

I challenge LBL to back their $7.6 / watt installed claim as my continual research at the residential power level in California indicates the rates are in the $9.50 to $11 range.

It appears that the industry is merely taking advantage of the ITC and utility incentives/rebates to line their pockets with profits at the expense of the consumer.

The solar industry better start to regulate itself and curtail the practice of fleecing the consumer. Otherwise the government is going to step and and demand accountability perhaps to the point of regulating prices.

Actually – given the recent stimulus bill with billions earmarked for renewables maybe now is exactly the right time to bring the government in to drive some sanity in the pricing models that are being forced on consumers and ultimately taking away much needed tax dollars that could be used to drive further solar/wind/natural gas deployments.

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