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A comment on Japanese company develops a solar cell with record-breaking efficiency. Parent comment

Re:Japanese company develops a solar cell with record-breaki... by Tuna-Fish on Thursday March 23, 2017 @11:25AM (#13940551)
Maintenance and installation costs already eclipse the panel costs. For any assembly you evaluate, you have to answer two questions:

Will this require more complex installation than flat panels?

Will this require more lifetime maintenance than flat panels?

If the answer to either question is a yes, it doesn't matter how good your system is in any other measure, you will lose against simple flat panels in total cost per electricity produced for any small-scale installation.

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Re:Japanese company develops a solar cell with record-breaki... by jacquesm on Thursday March 23, 2017 @11:53AM (#13940883)
Correct. I found this out the hard way with my two leafs of 2x4 panels tracking the sun in two axis. By the time the system was up and running I could have had more power and less headaches by installing 24 panels statically on the roof. It would have looked better too.
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Re:Japanese company develops a solar cell with record-breaki... by walrus01 on Thursday March 23, 2017 @08:21PM (#13945566)
Tracking systems with moving parts are expensive and complicated. With good quality 320W panels at $0.45/watt now in pallet quantities, going with a low cost fixed mounting system (whether ground or roof) makes much more economic sense. Considering the wind loading that a two axis tracking system which can hold 6x280W panels must endure, no wonder they cost a lot.
[ Parent | on HN ]