Cost Of Solar PV Systems Drops Significantly Over The Last Decade

[jpak]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090219152130.htm

A new study on the installed costs of solar photovoltaic (PV) power systems in the U.S. shows that the average cost of these systems declined significantly from 1998 to 2007, but remained relatively flat during the last two years of this period.

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) who conducted the study say that the overall decline in the installed cost of solar PV systems is mostly the result of decreases in nonmodule costs, such as the cost of labor, marketing, overhead, inverters, and the balance of systems.

“This suggests that state and local PV deployment programs — which likely have a greater impact on nonmodule costs than on module prices — have been at least somewhat successful in spurring cost reductions,” states the report, which was written by Ryan Wiser, Galen Barbose, and Carla Peterman of Berkeley Lab’s Environmental Energy Technologies Division.

Installations of solar PV systems have grown at a rapid rate in the U.S., and governments have offered various incentives to expand the solar market.

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[JDPriestly]

1. Here are the electricity rates for Los Angeles

I have no idea what they mean.

SCHEDULE R-3
SUBMETERED RESIDENTIAL MULTIFAMILY SERVICE

1. Applicability

Applicable to master-metered residential facilities and mobile home parks where the individual single-family accommodations are privately submetered. Not applicable to service which parallels, and connects to, customer's own generating facilities, except as such facilities are intended solely for emergency standby.


2. Monthly Rates



a.Service Charge $ 25.00

b.Facilities Charge - per kW $ 2.25


c.Demand Charge - per kW $ 13.10

d.Energy Charge - per kWh $ 0.02181

e.ECA - per kWh See General Provisions

f. ESA - per kW See General Provisions

g.RCA - per kW See General

http://www.ladwp.com/ladwp/cms/ladwp001750.jsp

How do these rates compare to the cost of solar energy. Wouldn't you have to add the costs of installation and of redoing your whole heating/cooling and electrical system to be compatible with solar power? How does that work?

We have more than enough sunshine out here to fuel private home with a roof solar unit, I should think.

[NNadir]

3. Well you could just look at what the solar industry says about itself.

www.solarbuzz.com

I guess they have a different idea than what "studies show."

[FreakinDJ]

2. Just think if Regean had not legislated away the Tax incentives

Take those gains / cubed

We could quite possibly be looking at 3 year pay backs

[NNadir]

4. It's surprising too, since he loved "subsidize the rich" stuff. Today we need even more of that.

We should definitely subsidize people living in McMansions who want to feel less guilty about their consumer lifestyle and have $20,000 or $30,000 to drop.

We should also buy them a Tesla electric sportscar.