Solar energy cost will plummet by 2025, study says

[cacofonix]

A new study makes the case that solar power is emerging as a cost-effective hedge against fossil fuels and is likely to reach parity with retail-electricity rates in most regions of the U.S. in less than a decade.

The Utility Solar Assessment Study, produced by clean-tech research and publishing firm Clean Edge Inc. and green-economy nonprofit Co-op America, says that for the first time, solar power is beginning to reach cost parity with conventional energy sources. As solar prices decline and the capital and fuel costs for coal, natural gas, and nuclear plants rise, the U.S. will reach a crossover point by around 2015, the study says.

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[jppearso]

Actually, I believe that the costs of Solar components are set to plummet in the near term, because of a lot of new manufacturing capacity coming online. Check this article:
http://www.off-grid.net/2008/06/02/solar-prices-set-to-slump/

Also, here is someone's idea to put solar panels on 10 million of our homes to break energy dependence.

http://www.reformer.com/reformereditorials/ci_9824970

[kingo55]

Solar energy isn't just improving in terms of the cost to produce solar panels, but other solar technologies are emerging as cos effective solutions as well.

Apparently they have developed a new technology called concentrated solar power which uses sunlight to heat liquid to turn turbines:

http://www.environblog.com/2007/11/conc ... homes.html

[just watching]

Solar thermal is nothing new. A 350 megawat solar thermal generator has been in continious operation in Southern Calafornia sense 1972. There severeal more that age arround the world.
Phonix Az has a big one under construction now and should be online soon. More are comming online in Nv. soon as they are under construction at this time. So far it is clamed the energy produced this way is less expencive than a coal peaking generator.
In 1994 I purchased 120 watt solar panels at $2.45 a watt peak. Now those same panels sell arround $6.00 a watt peak. Tell me more stories about falling panel prices.

[jomobe]

Solar thermal is nothing new. A 350 megawat solar thermal generator has been in continious operation in Southern Calafornia sense 1972. There severeal more that age arround the world.
Phonix Az has a big one under construction now and should be online soon. More are comming online in Nv. soon as they are under construction at this time. So far it is clamed the energy produced this way is less expencive than a coal peaking generator.
In 1994 I purchased 120 watt solar panels at $2.45 a watt peak. Now those same panels sell arround $6.00 a watt peak. Tell me more stories about falling panel prices.

I suspect that 14 years ago the manufacturing of sloar panels was so much less than it is today. Back then, many technologies were being explored that advanced the field dramatically in short amoiunts of time. Nowadays, the manufacturing base has matured and the last I knew with costs to implement included we were at $2.15 per watt-peak.