ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Alternative Energy RENEWABLE ENERGY: YOUR causes for concern?

Is that price point sun to utility voltage cost, or just sun to DC bus cost?

That's module cost alone, no DC or BOS.

Currently the complete installed price is ranging between the low $4's to $8 installed. Some of the really BIG (100MW and larger) may be in the $3's/watt, but I doubt they'll advertise the actual numbers since that would cut into their profit. When you have 500,000 or more modules the economics of scale takes on a whole new meaning and the builders can practically dictate material prices.

We just installed a huge system and our modules (parts only) cost just under $12 per Watt.

Then your price was about $4/watt above the average for IL.

Define huge?

To me huge means 10MW or larger, but it may mean something entirely different to others.

http://openpv.nrel.gov/rankings

According to NREL's data the entire state of IL has 1.35MW installed (can that be right?).

That NREL data is full of loose stool.
I know of at least 12MW installed just in the Chicago area.

I agree on that, but their $/W numbers are right on, in fact current Average $/W numbers should ALWAYS be lower than theirs since theirs are an average of all projects since they started tracking.

Florida numbers are off the chart, no wonder no one wants to do PV there..... I'm sure the data can be skewed since some projects have incomplete data, but I can't imagine what the $/W number(s) were for the projects that skewed it THAT badly.

Our numbers for 500kW to 1MW jobs have been falling anywhere between $4.75 and $6.50/Watt depending on the modules, inverters, DC scheme (mono or bipolar) and the local crew rates, some areas are absurd (compared to San Diego rates). Module rates are in freefall now with some as much as 30-40% lower $$ than a year ago.

Hi, I posted this on the general forum but perhaps it would be better to post it here.

I am hoping that you can help to resolve this issue.
Westinghouse Solar (formerly known as Akeena Solar) has been claiming for quite some time that it will be selling 200 Watt solar panels with built in grid connect inverter through Lowes.
CEO Barry Cinnamon claims that there is no need for any unnecessary paperwork....just take em home and plug em in.
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/...ilable-at-lowes

http://www.westinghousesolar.com/index.php/do-it-yourself

Lowes don't actually have any yet and my humble opinion they never will.

Would NEC and NFPA be happy about the idea of hundreds of thousands of grid connect solar panels installed by Joe Public?

Interesting claims by Bazza Cinnamon here.... http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/guest-post-epitaph-for-solyndra/



Edited by Keef_Wivanef (09/05/11 12:51 AM)

I just did some quick calcs... I've been using solar at some of our remote sites. Romote as in very remote. One such system has 1500+ watt array, 6kw genset, 4000 watt inverter and a big battery bank. Estimated cost was staggering $50 per watt. The solar array alone will pay for the system will be about 20 years in fuel and transportation costs. Even though there's a generator in the system when called upon will run at maximum efficiency thus operation savings will bring that payback cost in around 10 years. These systems are used from beginning may through September. Peak sun months up here

And that was with out tax rebates and government subsidies or rebates

As long as they're NRTL listed I don't think the NEC or NFPA could care less as long as they're installed per code.

These modules would actually be SAFER than conventional DC modules since the leads are dead as soon as you unplug them.

The problem I see is how do you regulate them, the POCO will not allow them to be connected to their grid without prior knowledge of the system type and size. They will even deny the right to connect if the local grid is already too saturated with other PV systems.