Solar Panels for UNDER $ 1.00 per watt

n3qik

The link:

http://www.edn.com/article/CA6640264.html?nid=3351&rid=3036154

Guess time will tell if this is true or not.

Solar Guppy

Re: Solar Panels for UNDER $ 1.00 per watt

Never seen one for sale, never seen any independent test reports or data to support that PR burlb on First Solar.

As for manufacturing costs of a buck, that isn't retail for a buck a watt, more like 2-2.50 , which one can get panels now in that price range

System2

Re: Solar Panels for UNDER $ 1.00 per watt

n3qik wrote: »

The link:

http://www.edn.com/article/CA6640264.html?nid=3351&rid=3036154

Guess time will tell if this is true or not.

Guppy,

I just read a whole article on that on Popular Mechanics and the bottom line is this is a solar leasing company and more than like will never sell there panels. You can go to firstsolar.com and check them out. I did there survey and I would have to pay them a $171 a month to save $17 dollars a month on my $188 month electric bill.

Doesn't make much sense when in the end you own nothing and you actually just end up replacing the utility company with a micro-utility company. Of course it does protect you against increases and they have to do all the maint, and repairs.

Windsun

Re: Solar Panels for UNDER $ 1.00 per watt

First Solar stock is down over 65% from the high about a year ago. Not looking good, but then none of the solar stocks look really good.

And I know nobody that has ever seen one of the FSLR "$1 a watt" panels.

System2

Re: Solar Panels for UNDER $ 1.00 per watt

Windsun wrote: »

First Solar stock is down over 65% from the high about a year ago. Not looking good, but then none of the solar stocks look really good.

And I know nobody that has ever seen one of the FSLR "$1 a watt" panels.

Yes, the article spoke to the stock being down despite the news. Probably as they manufacture there own panel to be used in their solar leasing company and not for retail sales. So I guess there could be some manipulation of the numbers when it is all internal accounting and justification.

niel

Re: Solar Panels for UNDER $ 1.00 per watt

some manipulation of the numbers? how about a total fabrication?

Roderick

Re: Solar Panels for UNDER $ 1.00 per watt

First solar already sports a high P/E on its stock, compared to other solars. But if they want the stock to really go through the roof, all they have to do is release a few panels to sell through Wind & Sun, here, or maybe a selected Home Depot. Once ordinary people see that this is a real product, at half the price of the competition, stock should soar.

But they have not done so. That makes me suspect.

System2

Re: Solar Panels for UNDER $ 1.00 per watt

The title looks amazing. I have never seen solar panels for under USD 1.00 per watt. Where are them? How about quality?

BB.

Re: Solar Panels for UNDER $ 1.00 per watt

The $1.00 a watt solar panels--for the present time--appear to still be marketing hype...

However, if you are in the US, first quality US/Japan/German 200+ watt solar panels can be purchased for $3-$4 per watt if you hunt around... At times, I have even seen overuns sell for $2.75 per watt (but that sale lasted about 1 day before they where gone).

I see you are probably in/around Hong Kong--being in the "world's" manufacturing nation"--you should be seeing lots of pretty low cost panels in your region of the world.

A big issue with price though is shipping costs... a 200 watt panel is not small or light--and is like shipping a framed window--very easy to break.

So, depending on minimum quantities, palleting costs, shipping, insurance, etc... the other costs can easily kill what appears to be a "killer" price.

-Bill