Comments on: Solar Power Costs Declining http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/03/13/solar-power-costs-declining/ The Executive's Daily Green Briefing Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:36:47 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Jack Pouchet http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/03/13/solar-power-costs-declining/comment-page-1/#comment-113653 Jack Pouchet Mon, 16 Mar 2009 22:04:41 +0000 http://www.environmentalleader.com/?p=11607#comment-113653 While we all welcome the eventual day when solar PV power achieves price parity with traditional power sources this report appears on the surface to be nothing more than marketing hype to sell an in-depth yet clearly faulted study. Do the math and one finds that in order to achieve a five year simple payback, something no Wall Street firm, VC, or private equity investor would ever accept, and with all of the known financial incentives, rebates, and ITC added together a solar PV system must be installed for under $3 watt net inverter output to be competitive. That does not include risk abatement, maintenance, cleaning (full power requires clean, soot / particulate free panels), and insurance (provided you can even obtain insurance). So the practical installed cost to truly be competitive with traditional power sources on a five-year basis is closer to $2.50 a watt net inverter output installed. The solar industry is its own worst enemy when they go off making these outlandish claims. While we all welcome the eventual day when solar PV power achieves price parity with traditional power sources this report appears on the surface to be nothing more than marketing hype to sell an in-depth yet clearly faulted study. Do the math and one finds that in order to achieve a five year simple payback, something no Wall Street firm, VC, or private equity investor would ever accept, and with all of the known financial incentives, rebates, and ITC added together a solar PV system must be installed for under $3 watt net inverter output to be competitive.

That does not include risk abatement, maintenance, cleaning (full power requires clean, soot / particulate free panels), and insurance (provided you can even obtain insurance).

So the practical installed cost to truly be competitive with traditional power sources on a five-year basis is closer to $2.50 a watt net inverter output installed.

The solar industry is its own worst enemy when they go off making these outlandish claims.

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