Rooftop Solar Could Reach Price Parity In the US By 2016

Lucas123 writes: The cost of rooftop solar-powered electricity will be on par with prices of coal-powered energy and other conventional sources in all 50 U.S. states in just two years, a leap from today where PV energy has price parity in only 10 states, according to Deutsche Bank's leading solar industry analyst. The sharp decline in solar energy costs is the result of increased economies of scale leading to cheaper photovoltaic panels, new leasing models and declining installation costs, Deutsche Bank's Vishal Shah stated in a recent report. The cost of solar-generated electricity in the top 10 states for capacity ranges from 11-15 cents per kilowatt hour (c/kWh), compared to the retail electricity price of 11-37 c/kWh. Amit Ronen, a former Congressional staffer behind legislation that created an investment tax credit for solar installations, said one of the only impediments to decreasing solar electricity prices are fees proposed by utilities on customers who install solar and take advantage of net metering, or the ability to sell excess power back to utilities.

Comments

Re:Rooftop seems unlikely

[PopeRatzo]

Now I say that as a guy with panels in the roof

You also say that as a guy who doesn't understand that cost is also measured over duration.

Here, for you math geeks out there, take a look at this statement and see if you can spot the problem:

Average mid to large size systems went in at $1.79 average in the US last year. Rooftop was over $4.50. So even if the price of the kit goes to zero, the install will be about 10 cents a watt. Now I say that as a guy with panels in the roof, but unless there are structural changes in the permitting, I find anything under $3 unlikely.

"about 10 cents a watt..."