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Cost of Solar Panels Expected To Plummet

ecogeek.org — Solar photovoltaics have their challenges, from shortages of silicon to the sheer cost of purchasing and installing solar panels, but a new report from the Prometheus Institute says that both these problems will be addressed over the next few years, leading to cheaper solar and an abundance of capacity to produce.

Who dugg this? Made popular Jun 5, 2008

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  • SVOboy, on 06/05/2008, -0/+93Cheaper than coal is the name of the game!
  • DeFex, on 06/05/2008, -2/+70yep, always in the "next few years"
  • dougvfr750, on 06/05/2008, -0/+67Cheaper is great, now I want a little more efficiency and a better way to store the energy than batteries
  • TJ11240, on 06/05/2008, -0/+45If you're connected to the regular grid, just sell excess power and buy back those credits at night.
  • guytoronto, on 06/05/2008, -4/+48What a load of crap. Let me know when it actually happens. Don't keep promising and then not delivering.
  • wanderson, on 06/05/2008, -0/+43Whatever happened to Nanosolar and printing solar cells?
  • brstilson, on 06/05/2008, -2/+30maybe some weak fans, but running a compressor, fan and evaporator requires a LOT more energy than what can be offered by 10 square feet of solar panels. It's always people who have no clue about engineering, electricity, mechanics or physics coming up with all these "green" solutions that don't work well, if at all, in real life.

    You can't just throw a solar panel on your roof and expect it to power your playstation, plasma TV, dishwasher, refrigerator, water pumps, microwave, and alarm clocks.
  • sockpuppets, on 06/05/2008, -1/+24I got solar cells in my stocking. :(
  • bratterscain, on 06/05/2008, -2/+24Cool. I'd like to cover my roof in one.
  • Aleman360, on 06/05/2008, -1/+23I've been thinking about solar a lot lately. The roofs of cars should be covered with solar panels. They could power your air conditioner while your car is off so it doesn't get ridiculously hot sitting in the sun all day.
  • Ryan166, on 06/05/2008, -1/+19ya, and what happens when the sun explodes?
  • socoolisme, on 06/05/2008, -0/+16They work best in the sun.
  • TheDreadDiggerD, on 06/05/2008, -0/+15The world's largest barbecue.
  • Langford, on 06/05/2008, -0/+15I wish selling back power worked everywhere. While it's technically permitted where I live, they have concocted a scheme to prevent it. Basically, if you want to hook to the grid to sell power back, they force you to pay very expensive insurance on the power companies' equipment. If I switch to wind or solar, I pretty much have to stay away from the grid or it's impossible to afford.
  • OKeric, on 06/05/2008, -1/+15That makes no sense, a solar panel absorbs just about all the light that hits it.
  • Mard, on 06/05/2008, -3/+17Except solar cells are working tech and -have- been becoming more efficient and cheaper every year. So your comparison to flying cars and fusion kind of fails.
  • inactive, on 06/05/2008, -3/+14 Good thing it taught you that because you sure didn't learn anything about electrical power requirements!
  • ratsg, on 06/05/2008, -0/+10bees......
  • buckrogers1965, on 06/05/2008, -0/+10The sun is up 24 hours a day. It is always dead noon under the sun.
  • hinmanj, on 06/05/2008, -0/+10Your solar panel's power rating becomes over 9000.
  • brad3378, on 06/05/2008, -0/+9Even at theoretical 100% efficiency and a car covered in solar panels, there's not enough energy in light to power a small A/C compressor, the evaporator cooling fan, and the blower motor.

    You would be better off to have a thermistor circuit crack open the sunroof when it gets hot and close it when rain is detected.
  • nowhereelse, on 06/05/2008, -0/+9*****.
  • InetRoadkill, on 06/05/2008, -7/+15We've only been hearing this ***** for the last 20 years. I want my flying car and Mr. Fusion.
  • Aleman360, on 06/05/2008, -0/+8OK so maybe just power a fan inside that moves the air through an electrically controlled sun roof or vent.

    See? Stupid ideas lead to real engineering :P Maybe it will be cost effective some day.
  • buckrogers1965, on 06/05/2008, -0/+8That power should be worth the most during the day, that is when all the air conditioners and factories are working full power.
  • Iamironman, on 06/05/2008, -0/+8... i think you might need more than one
  • Reddog_x2000, on 06/05/2008, -1/+9The skepticism is due to the fact that we've been hearing this for years. I'm 40 and have been following technology for a good chunk of that time. I think was either in late elementary school or Jr. High when they showed us a film telling us that solar, wind & geothermal sources were going to provide all the energy we could use in the near future. What's more, it was going to be cheaper & cleaner than burning coal. It's now 25-30 years later & they're still saying it's just around the corner. Don't get me wrong I'll be happy if that day arrives. But, I'm not holding my breath.
  • inactive, on 06/05/2008, -1/+8For all you kiddies out there, I heard this same thing for 30 years. So start holding your breath.
  • Phyrex, on 06/05/2008, -1/+8Too bad I live in Vancouver, where solar panels gather more energy when facing the ground.
  • inactive, on 06/05/2008, -1/+8BREAKING: in the future prices of technology may go down.
  • rusty0101, on 06/05/2008, -0/+7Go for it.

    Or store the energy as kinetic energy in flywheels. As Potential energy by lifting volumes of water or rocks. Store it as chemical energy by separating oxygen from hydrogen in water, and recombine them either in a motor with a generator attached, or in a fuel cell to get electricity back out.

    The big problem compressed air has had is that you can reach points of diminishing returns. You spend more energy putting in x amount of air than you get out, than you did when the system started. However if you are getting the power from solar panels that you have already paid for, and have already paid for themselves, go for it.
  • monospaced, on 06/05/2008, -0/+7They're working on it...just chill.
  • silver98, on 06/05/2008, -1/+8Or use the excess to convert water to hydrogen and store it for later use
  • CaviMike, on 06/05/2008, -0/+6A crystal grower just popped up across the street from my shop and we have most of the contracts to build their machines, so, as much of a nerd as I may sound, I'm friggin stoked about it and the recent advances in this technology. I'm even more excited about this than the super-bright LED's.

    Wow, I really sound like a nerd, don't I? :/
  • miamiman84, on 06/05/2008, -8/+14Exactly, how many times do you have to be fed this bull before you all realized that this penny cheap solar power just doesn't exist. Im sick of hearing these stories over and over again.
  • protodon, on 06/05/2008, -1/+7that's so funny I forgot to laugh.
  • maddonkey, on 06/05/2008, -0/+6You have BS in engineering? You must have gone to a really good schools all your life if you still can't spell "throw" or know when to use it.
  • solarweasel, on 06/05/2008, -0/+6this is why i intend on procuring work in photovoltaics with my electrical engineering degree. this is where the job opportunities are beginning to explode.
  • DeFex, on 06/05/2008, -0/+6aerogell capacitors are already made. they hold thousands of times more charge than a regular capacitor, and dont lose the charge quickly when its not being used. you can even buy them from electronics places like digikey lots of $$$$, im sure they they will get cheaper "in the next few years" as well
  • justz00t, on 06/05/2008, -0/+6Well you cant be hiking to far out it if you still get cellphone service. Sounds like you need a new battery instead of a solar panel.
  • failsafe623, on 06/05/2008, -0/+6Everyone would be invited.
  • yunus, on 06/05/2008, -0/+5Hopefully as solar /wind become more popular and this problem becomes more widespread the powers that be will regulate this and cap the insurance or limit the power companies ability to require it.
  • mal1964, on 06/05/2008, -0/+5And why is that?
  • FaithclubDotNet, on 06/05/2008, -0/+5I'm watching nanosolar.com. They already produce for 1/3 the price of coal. I'm starting to save money now if they go public.
  • nightsweat, on 06/05/2008, -1/+6"Over the next few years" is meaningless speculation. "Released next Thursday" - THAT'S what I want to hear.
  • FireLark, on 06/05/2008, -0/+41.21 gigawatts? 1.21 gigawatts? Great Scott!
  • kravex, on 06/05/2008, -0/+4yeah, but in a few more years they'll stop saying that.
  • xexx, on 06/05/2008, -0/+4It'd be a pretty good bubble to have as far as bubbles go.
  • Aard88, on 06/05/2008, -0/+4You got robbed!
  • RadiatedAnt, on 06/05/2008, -1/+5I call BS I just bought a 7.6v 200mah voltaic panel and it was a whopping 70 bucks. I can charge my cellphone now when I am hiking :D so it's worth it.
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