The 12-step Solar Program: Toward an Incentive-less Future

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in General Solar Power Topics #1
1332-the-12-step-solar-program-toward-an-incentive-less-future.jpg The un-incentivized future approaches, and it is time to call off the hunt for the next big incentive -- because if the solar industry (all technologies) does not, it is surely doomed. Well, maybe doomed is too harsh, disappointed is better. Along with disappointed add chronically over capacity and consistently margin constrained.

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  • solarix
    solarix Solar Expert Posts: 713 ✭✭
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    Re: The 12-step Solar Program: Toward an Incentive-less Future

    I figure that with the Spain and Germany incentives greatly decreasing, world-wide demand should be struggling while at the same time many PV manufacturers have just ramped up production - they will have to cut pricing some more in order to move product and maintain volume.
    Here in Arizona demand is remaining strong and the Utility (APS) has reached its RES quota ahead of schedule again and has just reduced its rebate (again - on Jan 19) to $1.60/w taking another $750 out of the average sized system. We are to the point something is going to have to give. Either customers pay more (reduced demand), Installers charge less (there are already some going belly up), or equipment (PV modules) drop prices. I'd really like to see the local AHJ back off on some of the inane paperwork requirements.
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  • drees
    drees Solar Expert Posts: 482 ✭✭✭
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    Re: The 12-step Solar Program: Toward an Incentive-less Future
    solarix wrote: »
    I'd really like to see the local AHJ back off on some of the inane paperwork requirements.
    Permitting costs are a huge cost that needs to get streamlined. There was a bunch of news on it this week (google solar permit on their news site) generated by this report:

    http://www.sunrunhome.com/cost-of-solar/solar-panels/local-permitting

    They estimate costs at $0.50/watt or about $2500/install.

    One Los Angeles company said that they have 2 full time employees who's jobs are to stand in line at permit counters and get the paper work pushed through. Ouch!

    I know that when I did the permitting for my install the permit costs were about $300, but it took 3 trips to city hall to get the required documentation right to get the permit and 3 weeks of waiting while they sent the plans out to a 3rd party for review.
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  • Windsun
    Windsun Solar Expert Posts: 1,164 ✭✭
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    Re: The 12-step Solar Program: Toward an Incentive-less Future

    In the past 5 years or so, solar panel prices have dropped about 50%. However, we have seen permitting costs (including things like engineering CAD drawings) skyrocket.

    Mount and wiring prices (as basic materials & metals hit record high prices) have almost doubled in the past 5 years, offsetting a lot of the lower solar panel prices.
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