Hi gang
Whilst shopping for a new battery monitor I've seen new Sharp solar panels for sale on a website locally for 190 euros for 170 watt and even less if you are buying several. The fall in the prices of solar panels has been huge since the crisis hit. I paid 4 bl**dy euros a watt for second hand panels just four years ago could have had four times the array I have now. Let me know if you want the details.
Bruixot

Germany, the UK and others have reduced the 'feed-in tarrifs' that had encouraged so many to put panels on their houses. The sudden drop in demand has sent 4 big European panel manufacturers to the wall (leaving the Chinese as the major players). The upshot is that the market is flooded with the excess panels and prices have dropped sharply. The situation is unlikely to last. Once the surplus is sold then the fewer manufacturers can push prices higher. The lesson is: If you are thinking about more panels then get on with it!  :)

Hi could you let us know where this offer is....thanks

Hi
I sent you a pm.
Bruixot

Hi bruixot.
Appreciate if you could give me the site details for the solar panels.

Hi
Can I get details, please?

No hurry, expectations are the prices will continue to drop for 40-50% the next five years. And around that time probably the new generation solar-panels (Yes, a Dutch invention  ;) will enter the market. The new panels will be four times more effective then the panels you can buy on the market today. Beautifull times ahead for solar-system lovers!

El_Alto wrote on Jun 10^th, 2012 at 4:29pm:

No hurry, expectations are the prices will continue to drop for 40-50% the next five years. And around that time probably the new generation solar-panels (Yes, a Dutch invention  ;) will enter the market. The new panels will be four times more effective then the panels you can buy on the market today. Beautifull times ahead for solar-system lovers!

Well that's an interesting analysis. Considering panel prices have fallen several hundred percent in the last few years and the subsidised chinese companies are selling their panels for less than the cost of making them I can't see them getting 40 to 50% cheaper. Especially as the Americans have decided to put import charges on the cheap chinese panels and the Euroepean Union is currently considering the same thing. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2012/06/asia-report-as-eu-trade-case-looms-market-could-shift-east
So giving your analysis the benefit of the doubt a 40 to 50% percent fall in prices and a 30%tax increase doesn't seem that cheap. In addition solar manufacturers are going under as they can't compete with the chinese companies and I suspect once the board is clear of competition prices can only go up again.
I hope someone does come up with a viable solar panel with more efficiency(current rates are only about 10 - 15 percent) at a low cost so we can all have cheap solar. But I note that Cold Fusion(really abundant, cheap,clean power source) is reckoned to be only ten years away! Though the interesting thing about that is they have been saying that since the late seventies.
Bruixot

Hi Bruixot,


There is a lot more to it than production-capacity and taxes. Demands for panels in Europe have dropped and there is a race going on to cut costs by manufacturers. For now the fact is that prices continue to go down.

About the production costs I can only say that the really strange thing is we paid so much all this years for something that is made from very little and very cheap material.


About the new generation solar panels you can read all about at:

http://www.amolf.nl/news/detailpage/article/eni-renewable-energy-prize-2012-for-albert-polman-and-harry-atwater//chash/494c09ad555b3e44f97a1a1b0cf61952/

Mark

Hmm nanophotovoltaics sounds interesting but I note no company was mentioned as developing it yet?
But if your batteries can afford for you to wait five years or more then go for it.
Bruixot

Bruixot, I am afraid you are wrong. There is a company in the states Nanosolar Inc.
Quote from them
San Jose, Calif. – June 1, 2012 – Nanosolar Inc. today announced that it has raised $70 million in new capital. The financing will be used to expand production of thin film solar cells and panels, support research and development designed to deliver greater efficiency, and drive faster commercialization of the company’s solar technology.
So I do not think it will be long before its all happening folks
:)

i don't recall seeing that in the article you posted?

It wasnt me who posted the article.
But here is their website
http://www.nanosolar.com/

I saw that just as I hit the post button. Sorry. But I don't see how I can be wrong as if you check my posts I made no statements about companies developing them I just asked. Being into the scientific method I am always open to new ideas and new information. But reverting to old wives tales for a moment then a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. :)
Anyway it is irelevant to me to a certain extent as A. I am not selling the panels. B. I can't afford to buy panels at this price or 40 to 50% cheaper or buy new nano panels when they appear unfortunately. I only posted what I saw as a good offer on panels.
I will add that new technology, even if it enables production cheaper is never cheap initially as the companies want to make back as much of their R+D investment money as possible before everyone jumps on the bandwagon.
Bruixot

Calm down folks....this is the way forward

---

Calm down? I thought we were having a calm rational discussion. Rational...unlike the man on the bicycle.
Bruixot

Bruixot baby...missed the ? mark......no probs here, personnally anything thats better than now is for me...run out of roof space ;)
cheers Steve

Hi solar panel experts,
Is it the bird in the bush ( whats her name!!!! ) or the man on the bike, which one is selling the solar panels?
Yours the evergreen energy using Bulldog.