Is it really necessary to make solar panels that expensive?
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Unfortunately, yes. Solar panels require high-grade silicon which is very expensive. Also, volume sales aren’t yet high enough to push down prices. Don’t worry though, as people buy them and the technology matures it’ll get cheaper. I remember DVD players costing $ 2000+. Now you can get one for less than $ 30.
I never understood why Silicon is so expensive, it’s the 2nd most abundant element in the Earth’s crust and the 8th most abundant metalloid in the universe.
I just look forward to when we start mining Ganymede, it has plenty of Silicate rock.
Yes look at the processing involved. If we can get der fuhrer Obama out of the way we can automate the process and make them more cost effective.
Did I say Obama sucks.
Obama sucks!
First Solar recently announced that their costs to produce panels dropped below $ 1 per watt. I don’t know how much of that is accounting tricks. Of course, that doesn’t mean that they would sell panels for that price – any capitalistic company is expected to drive the price up to what the market will bear.
Crystalline silicon panel producers are coming in at about $ 2.50/watt right now for the best of them. But again, the selling price is what the market will bear.