[RE-wrenches] NY Times: 25% price reduction on PV

[Joel Davidson]

PV module and cell prices have dropped and the PV industry is laying off good people as a result of the world-wide recession. Other industries are experiencing price reductions and layoffs too. The financial meltdown is bad, but it is a different (but not separate) problem than the accelerating global economic changes being caused by over-population, resource depletion, climate change, and disruptive technology change. The sky is not falling, but your cheese is being moved by forces beyond your control. All the more reason to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
 
Joel Davidson

--- On Wed, 2/4/09, Drake Chamberlin <drake.chamberlin at redwoodalliance.org> wrote:

From: Drake Chamberlin <drake.chamberlin at redwoodalliance.org>
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] NY Times: 25% price reduction on PV
To: "RE-wrenches" <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
Date: Wednesday, February 4, 2009, 7:49 AM

The Wrench list should be in good a position to evaluate whether or 
not green technology is heading down the tubes.   It seems hopeful 
for another good year, from my perspective.  Can anyone confirm or 
deny this?  Has the bottom fallen out in your area?

Maybe wind farms and other concerns, requiring huge capital outlays, 
will have a hard time with the current credit situation, but will 
that deeply effect the more modest projects?

If module prices have indeed dropped 25%, that should indeed lower 
the costs of systems.  Even if modules are only 60% of the cost, a 
25% reduction in 60% of the price is significant, still a 15% 
decrease in system costs.  That, with rebates and other incentives, 
should add up to an easier to swallow price tag.

With money in the bank gaining minuscule interest, and inflation 
eating up savings, spending money can make sense.  Buy a PV or hot 
water system, and savings are again working by producing ever more 
expensive energy.  Leave it in the bank, and watch its value deteriorate.

Maybe I'm deep in that river in Egypt (De Nile), but I'm hoping we 
are still on the upswing.



At 09:41 AM 2/4/2009, you wrote:
>Take notice: Today's NY Times quotes Rhone Resch of SEIA as saying 
>"The price of solar panels has fallen by 25 percent in six
months."
>http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/04/business/04windsolar.html
>
>What kind of $/W are people getting these days?
>
>
>--
>
>
>Nicholas Ponzio
>Building Energy
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Drake Chamberlin
Athens Electric
OH License 44810
CO License 3773
740-448-7328
740-856-9648  


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