How will solar energy change over the next 2-10 years?

Question

will the cost of solar energy (panels) increase over the next 2-10 years or decrease due to the necessary transition of alternate sources of energy?

Answer 1

I just spoke with a major panel supplier here in the US about some panels we are looking at purchasing for a large solar project.   He feels that panel prices will stay at their same price until next summer, when the market will start to soften (due to the interruption / cancellation of federal tax incentives here).  

On the longer term horizon, panel prices are expected to drop quite a bit as thin film panel production starts to come on line.   I've seen a number of companies marketing production lines for thin film panel production lines.  Assuming that folks actually start constructing these lines, and that thin film solar does indeed turn out to be as inexpensive as people predict, we should see panel prices dropping considerably within five to seven years - perhaps even to a point where they are almost competitive with other non-renewable forms of energy production.

Solar Plaza had a recent market study report about solar that was very good.  I also recently read another study, which I now can not find, that basically echoed these thoughts.

Answer 2

Actually solar panels will go down drastically in the next few years.

what make solar panels so expensive is the placement of solar cell, while nanosolar is printing the cells on thin film, and although they are selling commercially right now, they are planning on going domestic in the near future.

http://nanosolar.com/

Answer 3

I dunno all I know is that people need to stop going into outer space and stop putting a hole in the ozone!

Answer 4

They will go down. As competition increases and new designs emerge the price will go down.

Answer 5

They will go down. But i don't think enough for most of us. With that in mind check out this.

Answer 6

i think at first it will be kinda expensive but as more people start using the panels they will become cheaper because more people will be buying them. i think solar energy is great. o few of my friends have them in there houses and they work way better then regular electricity and are very efficiant.

Answer 7

I think they will decrease, because although there will be increased demand, there should also be increased production and efficiency.  Almost all new technologies decrease in cost over time as they are massed produced.



But solar energy will not replace the gas in your car.  It may help defray the cost of electricity to a certain extent..

Answer 8

hmmm, wow. that's a good question.

i think the government is gonna make them obligatory at some point.

so they can make the price as high as they want.

but maybe they'll give a notice before and make them cheap.

just my wild imagination.

someone.PLEASE.answer.mine:

http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/ind...