Printed Solar Panels for Less Than $10 a Square Metre

Re:Printed Solar Panels for Less Than $10 a Square Metre by Steeeve on Sunday July 23, 2017 @06:29PM (#14834756)

I don't disagree, but that's really absurd. Installation is not particularly difficult. There are dangers, but It's not significantly challenging. The market requires it - because all those solar companies wouldn't exist if it wasn't profitable. Still... every time I see an installation quote I'm blown away by how much people pay. People don't seem to care about numbers once they have to get financed for a few years.

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Re:Printed Solar Panels for Less Than $10 a Square Metre by milesvp on Sunday July 23, 2017 @10:20PM (#14835470)

You should check out the planet money podcast on this topic. Turns out a big part of (consumer?) solar getting cheaper was the invention of a new tool, some kind of wrench I believe.

http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2015/04/10/398811199/episo...

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Re:Printed Solar Panels for Less Than $10 a Square Metre by Obi_Juan_Kenobi on Monday July 24, 2017 @12:00AM (#14835805)

> GOLDSTEIN: But again, just in the past few years, installation has actually gotten a lot cheaper. As a way it's gotten cheaper is it's gotten faster. You don't have to pay those guys to be out at your house for as long. And when I was out at John's, I actually saw some of the reasons it has gotten faster.

> RYAN BARNETT: This is the Zep Tool. This is the end-all be-all of tools.

> GOLDSTEIN: The Zep Tool? Led Zep Tool?

> BARNETT: Yeah, exactly. (Laughter). One tool to rule them all. Yep.

> GOLDSTEIN: That's a guy named Ryan Barnett (ph).

> What's a Zep Tool? I mean, it's a wrench. It's basically a wrench. It's got these little marks on it or whatever, but the key thing is it's part of this whole installation system they use.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtiKyp12ej0

I think it's much more accurate to call it an installation platform/system, as the wrench is fairly incidental. The hardware is the innovation. Pretty cool overall.

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Re:Printed Solar Panels for Less Than $10 a Square Metre by gehwartzen on Monday July 24, 2017 @10:38AM (#14838775)

Since owning a house I am no longer surprised when seeing high costs for quotes of solar installs. Pretty much everything from a simple plumbing job to getting a window fixed has gotten very expensive.

I'm sure the costs for a contractor doing solar panels on a complete new build "cookie-cutter" subdivision could be quite reasonable but anytime it's a one off, with every house having its own unique quirks, it becomes expensive. It's also one of those things where I assume liability for the contractor can get quite high. Panel falling off the roof, or causing issues with standing ice or roof leaks, etc. Additionally it requires expertise in not only roofing but also electrical circuits (so a qualified electrician).

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Re:Printed Solar Panels for Less Than $10 a Square Metre by Animats on Sunday July 23, 2017 @07:17PM (#14834887)

Installation is labor-intensive custom work. Panel manufacture is a high-volume production process.

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Re:Printed Solar Panels for Less Than $10 a Square Metre by chiefalchemist on Sunday July 23, 2017 @07:32PM (#14834938)

And skilled labor at that. You don't want your roof leaking (if that's where it's installed), nor do you want an electrical fire.

I also presume the current installation prices might include some sort of maintenance guarantee. That adds to cost as well.

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