Build Own Solar Panel

1. Capoeirista13 Said,

   because not enough people have them and so production costs remain high, home depot is probably your best bet, sorry dude
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2. shecannu Said,

   Because electric and gas companies will loose money…
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3. Rocky Said,

   1.The companies need to somehow make a profit
   2. because they are helpful to the enviornment, and not many people have them
   3. Home Depot is probably your best bet
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4. alwew3april Said,

   In the end, the savings on your utilities and I think off your taxes (isn’t there a deduction for use of solar energy?) should counteract the cost of the panels. Many utility companies will actually help you FINANCE the panels if the utilities are tied to your city or state government
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5. LMurray Said,

   They take a lot of energy to make, better to use solar hot water, skylights and keep your old car till the new liquid air electric cars come out in about 5 years. Check it out at CoolingEarth.org-soon
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6. Widget Maker Said,

   Try making ‘em yourself…Good luck.
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7. turingschild Said,

   Silicon cells are expensive and difficult to produce. But a new technology is coming that uses a thin, flexible, plastic film. Hopefully we won’t have to wait much longer.
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8. Shelley Said,

   I think the technology will be pretty unaffordable until the government subsideses it for households to start producing more renewable energy. it will happen eventually, it’s a case of when the government will get its ass into gear. if you’re in america, it won’t happen with a republican government. vote for democrats.
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9. Akash Said,

   you save a lot of money if u have solar panels, thats why it is expensive.
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10. Dolly Said,

    The materials used in making of solar panels are not easy to get hence there prices are so high.
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11. Keyan Said,

    the main expense is the silicon (rare expensive metal) in manufacturing them, once this is overcome, we will see the prices go down much more.
    If you are doing a large installation, order them in bulk from Hong Kong, China & they will be at least half the price & exactly the same product.
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12. Murph Said,

    You might be better off finding a local installer who can get the panels and installation a bit cheaper. Check out http://www.getsolar.com
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13. Mickey Nickey Said,

    Technology needs to pay for itself, in other words people have put a lot of money into clean energy alternatives and they need to make that money back. Solar is becoming more affordable than it used to be, and its also more efficient than it was 30 years ago.

    Our current energy sources are highly subsidized by the government. If you were to go to Canada or Europe, their energy prices are closer to the world market price, which means that they pay a lot more than we do for their energy.

    You should check into tax credits you may be able to receive after you buy some kind of alternative energy source. For example, where I live (MT), if you put $5000 into solar panels, in about 2 years they will pay for themselves. This is because, number one, you save money on your electricity bill, and number two, tax credits, some states give pretty generous tax credits for clean energy alternatives. The catch for that is that you either have to put the money up front.

    Some alternative energy companies are also starting to let you make payments (like rent to own sort of thing).

    If you have a professional installer (someone who is certified), they are more likely to guarantee their work, so if there is some maintenance, then they would have to fix their mistakes or charge a nominal fee for routine maintenance.

    You may want to check out realgoodssolar.com

    Good luck!
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14. Glyfie13 Said,

    I dont know where u should get them, but since there isn’t as much demand for them, the companies have to charge more. (for upkeep)
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15. enkido71 Said,

    You have many good answers that are true, but ultimately the reason solar panels are so expensive is that you’re paying for all your future electricity at once. Even then, it’s not the cheapest thing to do, but if you want to stop using coal or nuclear to power your home, then this isn’t a bad option (buying wind from your utility may be better, if your utility offers it). Now, you can finance them (think home equity loan just like getting insulation, or new windows or a new kitchen). Seems a lot less of a problem if you pay a bit every month. Home Depot even provides the financing. Wells Fargo also advertises that it provides home improvement loans for things like this.

    As for where to get them, shop around. Home Depot has a nice program where they provide everything, but I don’t know their pricing. If you are in California (the only place I knew Home Depot did this program), you have a LOT of installers to shop from since California offers a lot of incentives. Just check the yellow pages for solar and ask them what they can provide and at what cost. Or check out http://www.findsolar.com (or any other website you can find in a search engine) to get a list in your area. Good luck!
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16. Ian Said,

    "Best" is a bit too general.

    The price $ per watt reflects lots of costs

    One such cost is availability… Home Depot has lots of stores for you to get them at … others only have web sites with no store fronts at all…

    Another Cost is easy of use… the solar cells Home Depot sells are pre-built and tested so there is less work to do on yours or the installers end.

    Another Cost is economy of scale… if you are buying a couple $million worth you get bulk discounts… the less you buy the more it cost per unit.

    Another is life time usability some solar panels today have over 20 year guarantees on them… of course some are far less… but again the more expensive ones usually come with longer warranties.

    The cheapest I’ve seen recently has been:
    a DIY kit if you are so motivated… $2.95 per Watt if you buy at least 200Watts worth from:
    http://www.siliconsolar.com/build-your-own-solar-panel-kits-p-16188.php

    Of course sometimes you can get very cheap solar panels if you are in the right place at the right time… A friend of mine got the solar array from one of the road service companies… it had some minor defect so they were replacing it and throwing away the defective one… it still put out a good bit of power and it was free for him… but that is all luck.
    References :
    http://www.siliconsolar.com/build-your-own-solar-panel-kits-p-16188.php

17. Jen B Said,

    The answer is simple. Tax subsidies still go to the oil, gas and coal industries which have no costs for the environmental damage that they cause. Its the american way - let someone else pay for the harm caused and subsidize big business.
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18. chrisbaskind Said,

    It still boils down to the fact that home solar is an emerging market. Costs will decline as technology, demand, and competition improves. Here’s the good news: it’s happening quickly.

    The technology part is important. Solar panels — the cells themselves — are still comparatively expensive to manufacture. Fortunately, companies such are stepping forward with exciting solutions. SUNRGI is one of them. They’re recently introduced something called concentrated solar photovoltaic power, which uses lenses to focus sunlight on tiny, inexpensive cells. This will really drop the dollar-to-kilowatt ratio of solar (I’m not affiliated with SUNRGI).

    In the meantime, a good place to start is a local contractor. If you’re aware of local solar installations, inquire and find out who did the work. Or use a service such as FindSolar.com to locate a solar specialist in your area.

    Be sure to ask them about any state or local tax incentives for installing home solar. This can really drop your costs.
    References :
    http://ecotechdaily.com/2008/05/02/sunrgis-coal-killing-solar-body-slam/

19. scriptease123 Said,

    Depending on where you live, the combination of federal, state and city tax credits and rebates can offset the cost of solar panels substantially. Even so, unless you use a lot of electricity, it may take a few years for the panels to pay for themselves. You are essentially paying for your electricity in advance. The more you use and the more it costs per kW/hr, the quicker the cost will be offset by the savings. Don’t install solar panels on a home you’re renting or one that you will likely sell in the next few years. It’s not practical to un-install them and move them to a new house.

    Energy conservation is the way to cut your enery bills with the lowest up front cost. If you haven’t had an energy audit, see if your energy provider does them at low or no cost. Install timers on air conditioner thermostats. If you have electric water heating, have a timer installed on that as well. Water heating is one of the biggest energy wasters out there. Why keep the whole tank of water hot when you only use it in the morning to shower?

    If you have your heart set on having solar panels but can’t afford the upfront cost, research the companies that do installations in your area. Some have lease and lease/purchase options now.
    References :
    http://www.dsireusa.org/

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