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Beyond the Solar Panel

Continued from page 1

By Lamont Wood

Friday, July 07, 2006

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Without subsidies and incentives, such as those in California, PV power costs about twice as much as utility power, says Thomas Leyden, vice president of east coast operations for PowerLight, a PV systems integrator in Berkeley, CA. That difference, however, is shrinking. "PV hardware prices have gone down tenfold in the last 15 years, thanks to new technologies, better manufacturing techniques, and more efficient use of materials," Leyden says. Prices are currently falling by about 5.5 percent yearly, he says, so they should come down another 50 percent in a little more than a decade -- and become fully competitive with utility power.

Maycock is even more optimistic, projecting that the installed price will fall from today's $8 or so per watt to $4 by 2014. That would make solar power "fully economic in the Sunbelt," he notes.

Meanwhile, Guha maintains that PV roofing is already economical at certain times of the day, in places where utilities charge extra for peak daytime usage. There, he says, it can be used to avoid paying those surcharges, a practice called "peak shaving."

Historically, the biggest market for residential PV roofing has been in Japan, which gets about half the sunlight that California does and the average residential user derives only a kilowatt. But government incentives, low mortgage interest rates, and high utility power rates have made residential PV popular there, says Maycock.

Comments

  • Solar Panel Buyers Guide
    Great Idea! Maybe this type of Consumers Reporting will boost the use of the newer solar solutions. My main concern - 15 months? These things are supposed to last many years. The testing should also include variables like Cold testing, snow and ice tests, etc.
    Rate this comment: 12345
    Guest (mike)
    07/07/2006
    Posts:1
    • solar panels
      how do you know if your in the right location, and which system is the best in oklahoma and whats the prices like
      Rate this comment: 12345
      Guest (josh wood)
      07/14/2006
      Posts:1
      • Re: solar panels
        hi, it doesn't really matter where you are. just direct your PV panel to the south (or somewhere in between SO - SW). that should do the job. when you have a sloping roof on the south it is perfect. a flat roof is good too, then you need a panel-base made of plastic or alluminium frame.

        do you live in a very sunny place then choose mono-crystalline solar modules. when you have a lot of diffuse light, then use poly-crystalline solar modules.
        Rate this comment: 12345

        hiofarwa
        10/29/2006
        Posts:4
        Avg Rating:
        5/5
  • Solar Panel Electricity
    How do you overcome the dramatic loss of power generation capability when the panel is covered with layers of dirt, dust a urban grime? until this problem is solved Solar Power will remain a Sci Fi confidence trick on the poor consumer.
    Rate this comment: 12345
    Guest (Marco)
    07/10/2006
    Posts:1
    • Test conditions and PV maintenance
      My concern is that the NIST test site pictures show the panels variably shaded at the test site and I haven't received a reply from
      Brian Dougherty (sent 7/1) questioning the validity of this siting.

      As for PV, it's like your windshield it works best if periodically washed and cleaned.  No problemo.
      Rate this comment: 12345
      Guest (alfranco)
      07/10/2006
      Posts:1
      • Siting?
        If you look at the diagram on http://www.bfrl.nist.gov/863/pvsolar/NISTs_PV.htm, the large building (the Administration Bldg.) is aligned north-south. It looks like the solar panels should be in the sun most of the time?? However, I wonder if the panels are laying flat (horizontal); most residential roofs are not.
        Rate this comment: 12345
        Guest (John)
        07/12/2006
        Posts:1
        • Siting
          Looking at the picture here:

          http://www.bfrl.nist.gov/863/bipv/roof.htm

          The residential test section appears to be sloped. 
          Rate this comment: 12345
          Guest (Mike)
          07/12/2006
          Posts:1
    • PV Maintenance
      I would think there is data from current installations in Europe and
      Japan?? Also, I understand the top surface may be a fluoropolymer film, maybe that would help to reduce adhesion of city grime? Or perchance create a new industry (chimney sweeps to roofing sweeps)?
      Rate this comment: 12345
      Guest (John)
      07/12/2006
      Posts:1
    • Idea
      Maybe its a good opportunity for a new kind of job... PV Cleaners...lol
      Rate this comment: 12345
      Guest (Leon Viveros)
      07/15/2006
      Posts:1
    • Solar Panel Electricity
      Suppose for a moment that you treat these panels just like a car - say wash them once in a while with soap and water. Then rinse. With newer nano surfaces that repel water they may even be semi-self cleaning. GE has a new plastic that has this capability.
      Rate this comment: 12345
      Guest (Mike)
      08/07/2006
      Posts:1
    • Reply to MARCO - Re: Solar Panel Electricity
      I think you're just too lazy to realize that you're saving fuel (fossil) which when burned create CO2 and then ruin the environment by creating the greenhouse effect and thsu global warming - please, Marco, see outside your 4 walls (no pun intended)!
      Rate this comment: 12345

      swing2glory@...
      03/13/2007
      Posts:1
      Avg Rating:
      2/5
  • cleaning PV's and sloped roofs
    As you clea your eves, you can hose your PV's now and then.
    As for slope: for best results you want to have the sun light coming perpendicular to your panels. Sloped roofs work better than flat roofs (get more light).
    And this changes with latitude.
    If builders start including this in their desings, house orientation and roof shapes and slopes will be designe for the local condition to optimally make use of the sun in each particular location.
    Rate this comment: 12345
    Guest (Em)
    07/20/2006
    Posts:1
  • Open Energy makes solar roofing tiles
    One company makes both solar roofing tiles and PV panels.  The efficiency is up to 20%.  I hope they get included in the testing.
    site is www.openenergycorp.com . There is some other interesting things there as well.
    Rate this comment: 12345
    Guest (Ron)
    07/24/2006
    Posts:1
  • climate
    do these shingles hold up well in the deep south of the east and coast areas, is humidity an issue?
    Rate this comment: 12345
    Guest (arnold)
    08/03/2006
    Posts:1
    • Re: climate
      they do, if i understand you right. as a matter of fact, normally coastlines have more sunhours that on the land, so for solar coast is perfect. it depends a little whether you place the panels very near by the sea or not. very near means a salty film on the panels which should be affoided to my believe.

      PV solarpanels are good to use anywhere, don't understand me wrong. even in canada or norway. i live in the netherlands where we have very diffuse light now and then, but no problem for solar, using poly-crystalline solar modules. these are perfect for that kind of conditions.

      a rule of thumb is; the hotter (not about light) a climate is the better you should use thermal-electro solar power, since PV panels don't like their working surface very (VERY) hot. at the end, its all about efficiency and how much you want to matter with that, because we are talking about percents power more or less... writing this, i think i wouldn't care about it too much. just put the panels there and shout it out! so that others hear it and do the same!
      Rate this comment: 12345

      hiofarwa
      10/29/2006
      Posts:4
      Avg Rating:
      5/5
  • Solar - -  the bigger picture
    Solar power for our homes sounds great...until you start to add all the other expensive items.
    It would be helpful to know the full expense plus all the maintenance needs and failure rates. Also, in the tropics (like Guam), air conditioning is the real energy hog. A solar system for this might be unaffordable for most people. And then there are the typhoons....
    Rate this comment: 12345

    tobiasonp
    10/27/2006
    Posts:1
    Avg Rating:
    5/5
    • Re: Solar - -  the bigger picture
      concerning solar-energy in the tropics; it is known that photo-voltaic solar panels (PV) are less efficient when the working temperature is high (that is the temp on/in the panel itself). for tropical conditions it is, efficiency-wise, better to invest in thermo-electro solar energy. here the sun heats oil in pipes that runs a generator. the efficency is very high. don't know whether this is technique ready to use on home-roofs, though.
      Rate this comment: 12345

      hiofarwa
      10/29/2006
      Posts:4
      Avg Rating:
      5/5
      • Re: Solar - -  the bigger picture
        You have mentioned temperature being a factor on the use of solar shingles for electricity.  What are the specs?  I live in TX and we see 20-40 100 degree F days per year in addition to hail storms usually once per year.  I love the idea for weening my corner of the world off petrol, but these questions concern me.
        Rate this comment: 12345

        wbiggs2
        11/13/2006
        Posts:1
        Avg Rating:
        4/5
  • look here! new energy techniques
    for anyone interested in new energytech, including foil-solar and stuff, but also many different other projects and ideas, go to; http://peswiki.com/energy/Main_Page
    Rate this comment: 12345

    hiofarwa
    10/29/2006
    Posts:4
    Avg Rating:
    5/5
  • Fund Renewable Technology
    Sadly, the current administration "studies" new technology like solar panels, while it "funds" old technology like coal and oil.
    Rate this comment: 12345

    solar jon
    04/12/2007
    Posts:1
    Avg Rating:
    4/5

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