Are They Still Going To Sell Solar Panels for $2/Watt

[judysolar]

While researching about solar panels, I hear about companies planning to sell solar panels for $2 a watt. How much truth is there to that?

This price was just quoted ex-works, of manufacturer, or CIF destination port. No middle men are involved. As long as you directly place bulk order to the manufactuers, 2USD/watt is a normal price you enjoy. However, you must undertake the importing procedures and pay custom duty.

[MarineLiner]

First Solar Producing Panels For $.98 A Watt

First Solar Producing Panels For $.98 A Watt

And the promise to describe the system in detail on the blog ?

I'll get around to it. Life is uber busy now.

[MarineLiner]

AUS$999.00 for 190w panels ..... from China

$2.50/watt, I wish. The best pricing I can get here in Aussie is AUS$999.00 for 190w panels. Yeah, they come from China. But I'm not a solar installation guy, so these are just for personal use.

Lets look at this in a different light. Lets just say that a watt is to be $2.00. What does everyone think will happen?

That solar install companies will offer cheaper pricing and more home owners will install solar panels on their roofs.

$2.50/watt, I wish. The best pricing I can get here in Aussie is AUS$999.00 for 190w panels. Yeah, they come from China. But I'm not a solar installation guy, so these are just for personal use.

[Off Grid Solar]

Lets look at this in a different light. Lets just say that a watt is to be $2.00. What does everyone think will happen? I know it is comming sometime the $2.00 a watt. I know becauses when I started solar cells did not exist the way they are today. I think back in the late 70's it was going for $18.00 a watt. No body needed this because gas was around 85 cents and electric was 3 cents a KW. The only way I could make a living back then was to develop products that were totally off grid. Solar lawn lights were one and the solar calculator was another product. Now you can purchase a solar calculator for around a $1.00. PS the solar calculator is only 1/4 watt so don't go and buy hundreds of solar calculators. The lawn lights are different. A typical solar lawn light is a 1.3 watt solar cell. So as you can see this may happen in the future. The $2.00 watt solar panels. I do not think that the solar panel will be made of silicon.

[JustinSolarGuy]

Update

That's a good point. You don't want to buy cheap stuff. You should look at PTC, warranty, company history as well as the aesthetics of the module. But the best overall quick comparison is price per watt. Update: I just called my supplier and he said that next month Two brand name modules will be available at $2.75 and $2.80 per watt! He said that as soon as one manufacturer lowers its price the other modules just sit on the shelf. So they have been renegotiating price with their manufactures on a rotating basis and almost every month or two one sets the bar lower than the rest.

[tump]

Buying solar modules strictly by prices is a fools game. I would suggest that one reviews the PTC output of a solar module NOT just the PpW.
Some modules measured in a lab (STC) for instance have an output 190 watts,but in the field (PTC) only have an output of ~165 wts., while other 190 wt modules, the PTC rating is 179 wts.
Power density can also be a deciding factor small area for the array there are good modules that have outputs of 16w/sqft.
Off grid or On grid you get what ya pay for.

[MarineLiner]

The cheap chinese modules have had an effect

... have to be careful comparing PV modules to gasoline. ....
Very few people have purchased solar panels (yet). Once they reach a low enough price I think a lot of people will start going solar. ....
Supply and demand is a powerful thing. The PV market is in its infancy.
I just hope more manufactures come on the scene and keep ..... to drive down overall prices.
The cheap chinese modules have had an effect on the good name brand prices. That's good in my book.

[JustinSolarGuy]

You have to be careful comparing PV modules to gasoline. Everyone in America has a car and needs gas. Very few people have purchased solar panels (yet). Once they reach a low enough price I think a lot of people will start going solar. When that happens everyone on the block will want panels and their may or may not be enough to go around. We saw this last year with a few brands when everyone thought the tax credit was ending at the end of 2008, this was before they extended and raised the tax credit, I had a hard time getting panels for a couple of months and the prices did not drop during that period. Supply and demand is a powerful thing. The PV market is in its infancy. I just hope more manufactures come on the scene and keep undercutting each other to drive down overall prices. The cheap chinese modules have had an effect on the good name brand prices. That's good in my book.

[Off Grid Solar]

I don't know why a company would want to say that. Think about it. If gas is now $3.00 and someone were to sell gas at $1.50 what do you think will happen? Some companies say $2.00 a watt. I think it is big oil or coal that is saying this.

[JustinSolarGuy]

Solar panel Prices

I am currently paying $3.30 per watt for good american made (assembled) modules. That seems pretty cheap to me. Earlier last year I was paying $4.25. Thats a big reduction. I see panels from china coming in at $2.29 per watt with a UL listing. To me that's practically $2 a watt already. I havent used these modules yet because I want to make sure the company is going to stick around. Remember when a bunch of people paid $400 for the I phone. Now you can get that same phone for $99. Solar prices won't move down as fast because demand really jumps when the price drops, but they will continue to drop. When you can see a 5 year payback for the average customer, so many people will want solar the panels cost will stabilize for a while they may even go up a bit. Who knows where the bottom is.

[MarineLiner]

Cost of solar panels is .... the most hits or views

It seems that the cost of solar panels is .... This has the most hits or views.

[Off Grid Solar]

It seems that the cost of solar panels is very important to this group. This has the most hits or views. This is a very important issue and it needs to be clear that the cost of a watt is important but the ROI plays a big factor in solar electric. Start up cost must be very important and utility power is pennies a KW. I would like to know if anyone would use a larger solar electric system; if the price was right? Some companies offer lower cost solar panels that are old and not as powerful or blemished or something might be wrong with them. They usually sell for less than $3.00 a watt. Miami Florida has companies that sell these solar panels cheep. Please; buyer be ware! Some of these products are also scams. I know of a situation where you had to purchase by the truck loads or train loads to get these prices. The best suggestion is not to wait till the price goes down. Get the best price on a product that is produced now and not obsolete. You will save a lot of headaches in the long run.

[Mike90250]

I am currently buying 160watt panels for $2.00 a watt direct from China but they are 24volt output, will this be a problem for inverter and battery storage pricing??I live in Chicago and these panels are large 62" x 24"x3".

Well, it depends on what you use them for. Most 12V battery charge controllers, require at LEAST 17 or 18V to function properly, and there are some (MPPT) that will down-convert 140V from panels in series, to 12V for batteries. All depends on what your needs are.

HOWEVER, if a panel does not have a UL label on it ( or an equivalent certifying agency), do not attach it (electrically or mechanically) to any building covered by an insurance policy. If something bad happens (fire, roof collapse) the insurance company does everything they can to avoid paying a policy. Ah Ha ! Non-Certified equipment was attached and must have caused the sink-hole to swallow the house. Denied!