Why California Has Nearly Quadrupled Solar Installations Since Last Year

[jpak]

http://cleantechnica.com/2010/05/12/why-california-has-nearly-quadrupled-solar-installations-since-last-year/

In the first four months of 2010, California solar applications totaled nearly much as in all four quarters last year, according to Mark Bachman of Auriga USA. Through all of 2009, Californians installed 265 MW on their rooftops, about the size of one typical electric power station. This year we have collectively already installed another 252 MW – just through April.

In a piece at Forbes, Bachman attributes the “staggering increase” to the solar panel price drop. But actually, my experience tells me it was something different. Two Californian clean tech innovations, one taking cost out of the equation altogether – drove installation increases at least as much as the cheaper panels.

Initially state utility rebates made solar more affordable. The rebates were $2,500 per kilowatt in 2006, and have steadily been stepped down over the last few years as more solar was added to the grid. Last month it was down to just over $600 per kilowatt. However, that reduced rebate has been balanced by the Federal 30% tax credit which kicked in during the same period, keeping after-incentive costs at about the same level.

Panel prices have also dropped about half in the last year as Spain dropped its generous Feed in Tariff suddenly and nations that produced panels to meet their extraordinary demand, were suddenly faced with a glutted solar panel market. Prices dropped precipitously over the last year as a result. Bachman attributes the increase to the cheaper panel prices offered by Asian manufacturers like Suntech Power, Sharp, Yingli, Trina Solar, and Kyocera.

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[zbdent]

1. getting themselves off the AZ grid, too ...

[kristopher]

2. Watch what happens ten years from now...

When solar production capacity reaches 1TWp