Comments on: Plunging Cost Of Solar PV (Graphs)

By: Ronald Brakels

Ronald Brakels — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 00:53:00 +0000

There’s a lot of Malaysian made thin-film being used for utility scale solar in India. It’s good for the price sensitive buyer who is not too concerned about taking up a little extra area per watt. Sooner or later silicon solar will mature and be overtaken by thin-film technologies. Which sort, you may ask? Beats me.

By: San Diego Loves Green – “Solar Freedom Now” Unveils Plan For Cutting Red Tape, Solar PV Soft Costs 50%

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 21:51:31 +0000

[…] LabyrinthWith solar PV hardware costs — the cost of producing solar PV cells and modules — plummeting some 70% from 2009–2012, the Obama Administration, state and local governments, industry participants, and solar energy […]

By: Zachary Shahan

Zachary Shahan — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 20:33:00 +0000

i think it’s simply because 9 of the top 10 solar manufacturers are manufacturing silicon modules.

i actually do think thin-film solar will get rolling again in time — it seems there’s a lot of potential there (have had an article planned on that for about 2 months! :P) but it’s not going to happen until Chinese silicon panels hit their ultimate low price, stabilize, and give thin-film time to compete economically.

but we’ll see.

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 20:56:00 +0000

Just for comparison, the average price for silicon panels yesterday (Mar 6, 2013) was $0.667/watt and the average price for thin-film was $0.620/watt. Lowest prices were only 3 cents apart (55 and 52 cents per).

And since numbers are fun, Germany’s average (non-subsidized) cost for installed solar was 1.50 euros in February. That breaks the $2/watt threshold at $1.96 per. We’re on our way to $1/watt solar….

By: Ronald Brakels

Ronald Brakels — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 20:21:00 +0000

And I’ll mention that both silicon and thin cell are cheaper than fossil fuels.

By: Ronald Brakels

Ronald Brakels — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 20:16:00 +0000

Yingli does silicon so the article focuses on that, but I’m pretty sure the graph at the bottom includes thin cell.

By: sola

sola — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 18:11:00 +0000

That is an old myth which doesn’t seem to be coming true ever.

Thin-film couldn’t prove its cost-reducing capabilities and the advent of Chinese silicon producers has pushed down silicon panel prices below costs promised by thin-film before.

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 15:26:00 +0000

Thin film prices are only small pennies less than silicon panels. Thin film is not likely to gain a large portion of the market with silicon being so competitive.

By: nrmantena

nrmantena — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 14:30:00 +0000

How come thin-film and nanocrystal PV cells and modules are nor
mentioned in this article? Most technologists believe that only these
two technologies can give us the promised land of solar cost being
the same as fossil-fuel-driven energy cost. May I request that these
new technologies are given their due prominence in your coverage?