Comments on: Solar energy report: Crossing the $1 per watt barrier http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/05/11/solar-energy-report-crossing-the-1-per-watt-barrier/ Trends, happenings and innovations in the clean technology market Thu, 18 Mar 2010 22:38:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Anonymous http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/05/11/solar-energy-report-crossing-the-1-per-watt-barrier/comment-page-1/#comment-415 Anonymous Tue, 12 Sep 2006 17:45:43 +0000 http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/05/11/solar-energy-report-crossing-the-1-per-watt-barrier/#comment-415 Not quite, because of the time value of money. At a 7% discount rate per year, the 30-year cost with 10-year life cells is: $1 + $1/(1.07^10)+$1/(1.07^20) = $1.76 So a 30-year cell would have to cost $1.76 to be preferable to a 10-year life cell costing $1. You're right, though, to compare useful life to purchase cost. Not quite, because of the time value of money. At a 7% discount rate per year, the 30-year cost with 10-year life cells is:

$1 + $1/(1.07^10)+$1/(1.07^20) = $1.76

So a 30-year cell would have to cost $1.76 to be preferable to a 10-year life cell costing $1.

You’re right, though, to compare useful life to purchase cost.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/05/11/solar-energy-report-crossing-the-1-per-watt-barrier/comment-page-1/#comment-416 Anonymous Sat, 13 May 2006 14:31:23 +0000 http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/05/11/solar-energy-report-crossing-the-1-per-watt-barrier/#comment-416 I also wonder what the rising costs of fossil fuel energy will do to the price of production of solar panels; isn't production of solar panels very energy-intensive? I also wonder what the rising costs of fossil fuel energy will do to the price of production of solar panels; isn’t production of solar panels very energy-intensive?

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/05/11/solar-energy-report-crossing-the-1-per-watt-barrier/comment-page-1/#comment-414 Anonymous Thu, 11 May 2006 16:28:56 +0000 http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/05/11/solar-energy-report-crossing-the-1-per-watt-barrier/#comment-414 always remember to combine price with useful life. $3/watt with a 30 year life is equivalent to $1/watt with a 10 year life. always remember to combine price with useful life. $3/watt with a 30 year life is equivalent to $1/watt with a 10 year life.

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