Solar power boom shines for consumers - USA Today

[JohnWxy]

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/environment/2011-07-21-solar-power-boom-lowers-prices_n.htm


In the first quarter of 2011, U.S. solar panel installations shot up 66%, or the equivalent of powering roughly 20,000 average houses, compared with a year ago, says a report from the Solar Energy Industries Association and GTM Research.
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"We've seen a dramatic decrease in the price of solar power over the past year," said the SEIA's Tom Kimbis. "That has helped residential and commercial use of solar."
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The U.S. will become the largest solar market in the world by 2014, experts at SEIA predict. The nation will leapfrog Europe, now No. 1, and No. 2 Japan for the crown on solar installations.

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Homeowners right now can get solar panels from various providers at no upfront cost and in turn get lower electricity bills.
(more)

[joshcryer]

1. You can build your own panel for $1 / watt these days buying non-consumer worthy...

...solar cells. If you view it as a hobby and not work (don't subtract the 'labor' you put in building them). I plan to build a bunch myself! It's going to get amazing.

[kristopher]

2. 50 MW of Solar? Make that 400 MW

50MW of Solar? Make that 400 MW
By Steve Leone, Associate Editor, RenewableEnergyWorld.com
July 19, 2011

New Hampshire, USA -- Nothing sparks investment like a good bargain. So when officials for San Antonio, Texas, municipal utility CPS Energy started receiving bids for a 50-megawatt project, they saw a good deal and an even bigger opportunity.

“We were noticing that the prices were very attractive,” said CPS Energy spokesman Victor Robledo. “It shows that the cost of solar is coming down. We have to do what’s right for our ratepayers and for the environment.”

The right thing, from CPS’ perspective, was to increase its development proposal eight-fold to 400 MW. CPS will begin evaluating proposals from 39 participants from across the globe before awarding contracts in early to mid-August.

It’s all part of a shifting strategy for the nation’s largest municipally owned utility that provides both natural gas and electric service. The utility’s portfolio currently includes nuclear, coal, natural gas, wind and a small amount of solar. The current solar capacity stands at 14 MW with a signed contract for another 30 MW. An additional 400 MW would represent about 6 percent of its current total capacity, but it would position San Antonio at the forefront of the renewable energy market — a stated goal for the company.

According to published reports...

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2011/07/50-mw-of-solar-make-that-400?cmpid=SolarNL-Thursday-July21-2011