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Forum Index : Other Stuff : Solar Cost Dropping

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norcold

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Joined: 06/02/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 670
Posted: 11:18am 13 Aug 2012
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http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2011/03/16/sm aller-cheaper-faster-does-moores-law-apply-to-solar-cells/

Interesting read above re. Moores Law applying to Solar Cells,$50/Mw(WOW) also the comments from subscribers of some concern the one on NF3 production from solar cell manufacture being 17,000 times worse than CO2.
We come from the land downunder.
Vic
 
Georgen
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Joined: 13/09/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 462
Posted: 12:24am 14 Aug 2012
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Noticed that Solar Panels price gets more attractive with time.

But also noticed that some outlets selling Solar Panels are still locked in their hey day era.
Just cannot see anybody talking me into paying $600 for 190W panel

Must agree that we don’t have alternative energy problem as much as energy storage one.

George
 
norcold

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Joined: 06/02/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 670
Posted: 03:48pm 14 Aug 2012
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Energy storage a current problem but one that is being addressed, and probably will be solved as we progress down that track. The concern as pointed out by some of the comments to the Scientific Americian article, is the pollution technology manufacturing advancements is making, some are saying that may be worse than our oil dependancy pollution, also we are probably going to have to moderate our growing dependancy on energy.
Something that a lot of us on this 4M have tackled and I know in my case I am using a third of the electricity power I was when on the grid with no dropping of my standard of living. But the question of the pollution made in manufacturing the off grid system compared to the grid system, has no clear cut answer.
We come from the land downunder.
Vic
 
Georgen
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Joined: 13/09/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 462
Posted: 06:30pm 14 Aug 2012
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If solar panel can produce power 20, 30 or possibly 50 years, then maybe manufacturing pollution can fade away, compared to pollution that oil creates every time it is used.

Probably different manufacturing process can be developed to address pollution issues.

As to electrical energy storage, is the deep cycle battery the cheapest option?
Or things are leaning toward Supercapacitors?
Or there is something even better and cheaper?

George
 
yahoo2

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Joined: 05/04/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 1166
Posted: 07:55pm 14 Aug 2012
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The 50 cents per watt production cost is not that far away now when you consider that $1 per watt retail on the most mass produced panels has been with us for almost 12 months now.

I am quite excited about the next ten years for solar energy. When the solar rebates are no longer with us people will start to look at ways to value add to the energy they produce.

If the system is wired so the owner can use their own solar power before it gets to the meter it opens up all sorts of possibilities.
I'm confused, no wait... maybe I'm not...
 
norcold

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Joined: 06/02/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 670
Posted: 06:36am 15 Aug 2012
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I started out with a few panels mounted on my Troopies roof rack to power my prospecting camp, back in late 80`s early 90`s. Used to get a lot of goodnatured comments from locals, so much so I would jokingly state they were powering the Troopies diesel, which would get a few funny looks. But I had a good cold beer each night.
Next ten years should see them knock coal off as a cheaper alternative.

Yahoo2 I`m with you we live in exciting times re. technology, what with solar panels being "painted" on building walls and roofs etc etc. 50c a watt how about $50 a Mw?
All sounded like science fiction a while back, but we are resourcefull animals.

Lithium batteries are coming down in price at a great rate, perhaps they`ll replace the lead-acid batteries we currently use. The future is on our door step, bloody magic times.
We come from the land downunder.
Vic
 
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