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New Solar Panel Designs Make Installation Cheaper

technology review -- With solar panel prices falling more than 80 percent in the last few years, many solar companies are turning their attention to reducing the cost of installing them. Two leading solar companies, Solon Energy, based in Berlin, and Trina Solar, based in Changzhou, China, have announced new designs for mounting solar panels to roofs—the companies say these designs can reduce the installation time by more than half, greatly reducing labor costs. The new designs reduce or eliminate the tools and hardware needed to install solar panels, and standardize solar installations, which have largely been ad hoc, reducing the time needed to design them.

While solar panels themselves used to account for most of the cost of large solar installations on commercial rooftops, the modules now account for abo

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Submitted Jul 06, 2012 By: NHLiveFree

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LetemEatCake Champion Author Oklahoma City Posts:5,596 Points:1,204,605 Joined:Mar 2008	Message Posted: Jul 7, 2012 11:46:04 PM Ignore LetemEatCake Report Abuse Excellent article NH! Very glad you posted it...thanks!
teafortwo Champion Author Washington Posts:22,106 Points:1,384,910 Joined:Feb 2009	Message Posted: Jul 7, 2012 2:50:41 PM Ignore teafortwo Report Abuse Once you have your solar equipment, Solar Energy Refills are FREE courtesy of Mother Nature ;0} Thanks for sharing NHLiveFree. [Edited by: teafortwo at 7/7/2012 2:52:57 PM EST]
BEGTWO Champion Author Maryland Posts:1,937 Points:723,315 Joined:Sep 2010	Message Posted: Jul 7, 2012 8:11:21 AM Ignore BEGTWO Report Abuse This is a good thing
jrs4125 Champion Author Indiana Posts:2,753 Points:590,770 Joined:Sep 2011	Message Posted: Jul 7, 2012 6:50:45 AM Ignore jrs4125 Report Abuse Great way to go for the future of the US.
52MPG Champion Author Dayton Posts:7,262 Points:1,741,705 Joined:Apr 2006	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 10:57:46 PM Ignore 52MPG Report Abuse There is still night.
dhdiesel Veteran Author Riverside Posts:400 Points:44,800 Joined:Feb 2012	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 9:38:56 PM Ignore dhdiesel Report Abuse Ok, so they put each individual panel in a mounting rack. As the article says, "the systems provide only one standard angle for pointing the panels at the sun." So, if that isn't the best angle for the angle of your roof, you won't get much juice from your Chinese panels (that very well may not be UL certified either. Bypassing UL certification saves the manufacturer money. Another reason they can offer cheaper panels). Getting solar panels pointed correctly is critical, since they are only going to produce, at best, 80% of the nameplate. That is, a 200 watt panel will give you, at best, 160 watts (and most likely only during peak sun .. say between 10am and 2pm). The installer will most likely never tell you that! Also, many grid-tied installations are wired to shut down if the grid power goes down. So, you got nothin' when you need it most. The installers won't tell you that either!
PDQBlues Champion Author San Diego Posts:7,069 Points:1,447,350 Joined:Jan 2009	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 5:57:29 PM Ignore PDQBlues Report Abuse Cheaper solar installation, more solar power at a lower cost, more people installing solar!
melvindale Champion Author Michigan Posts:1,438 Points:351,230 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 3:06:02 PM Ignore melvindale Report Abuse Super!
Amanstrom Champion Author Los Angeles Posts:1,857 Points:537,805 Joined:Jul 2011	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 1:26:27 PM Ignore Amanstrom Report Abuse Interesting
bluebird1 Champion Author Toronto Posts:15,730 Points:3,107,150 Joined:May 2004	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 12:40:46 PM Ignore bluebird1 Report Abuse It's not the cost of panels that's an issue anymore - its the cost of having a decent 2-way deal for the grid and/or cost of batteries to store the juice!!! Cost of panels was a problem quite awhile ago.
GatorGuy Champion Author Columbia Posts:2,228 Points:1,206,495 Joined:Jan 2009	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:59:42 AM Ignore GatorGuy Report Abuse I'll include a couple solar panels when I build my retirement home....that is if there are any solar panel companies still in business by then.
mageetp Champion Author British Columbia Posts:3,205 Points:625,735 Joined:Aug 2011	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:58:33 AM Ignore mageetp Report Abuse Not helping my gasoline costs one bit.
Galmar352 Champion Author San Antonio Posts:10,158 Points:1,882,625 Joined:Dec 2005	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:47:08 AM Ignore Galmar352 Report Abuse Like to see this in play...
Bonanza Champion Author Boston Posts:12,087 Points:2,551,005 Joined:Jun 2004	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:46:00 AM Ignore Bonanza Report Abuse Good for those who can afford it
polpal Veteran Author Spokane Posts:438 Points:2,965,540 Joined:May 2003	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:43:06 AM Ignore polpal Report Abuse Solar is the future but the problem is the cost - every business wants to become instant billionaire.
NukeAtComEd All-Star Author Milwaukee Posts:725 Points:338,520 Joined:Jan 2011	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:42:39 AM Ignore NukeAtComEd Report Abuse BarryO will fix that with the upcoming tariff increases at the end of the year to protect the american solar companies to prevent additional solyndras!
bikechuck Champion Author Indianapolis Posts:7,011 Points:2,063,120 Joined:Apr 2006	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:31:51 AM Ignore bikechuck Report Abuse Keep working at it and we may be able to afford them in the future.
mikesr100 Champion Author Sacramento Posts:3,888 Points:1,079,760 Joined:Apr 2008	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:31:26 AM Ignore mikesr100 Report Abuse Yea! The Chinese are saving us again?
stopforgas All-Star Author Mississippi Posts:996 Points:480,955 Joined:Jun 2011	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:31:06 AM Ignore stopforgas Report Abuse Maybe one day, but not yet...
AriesMMD Champion Author Sacramento Posts:1,486 Points:411,240 Joined:Dec 2011	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:30:42 AM Ignore AriesMMD Report Abuse Is it worth it?
Banjoe Champion Author Winnipeg Posts:4,240 Points:613,210 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:24:33 AM Ignore Banjoe Report Abuse I have to check out the finances on this setup. Maybe we're gettting down below a 30 year payback for home use?
matthwbar Champion Author Toledo Posts:4,058 Points:1,016,830 Joined:Jun 2007	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:23:24 AM Ignore matthwbar Report Abuse Solar is not the way...
1mrtym Veteran Author Houston Posts:457 Points:92,475 Joined:Mar 2012	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:22:08 AM Ignore 1mrtym Report Abuse ok
Seversen Rookie Author South Dakota Posts:35 Points:201,525 Joined:Jul 2012	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:20:14 AM Ignore Seversen Report Abuse ok
Wolfwings Champion Author Delaware Posts:8,735 Points:1,775,490 Joined:May 2004	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:19:49 AM Ignore Wolfwings Report Abuse Good News for solar enthusiasts.
Pramodsharma Champion Author Richmond Posts:1,974 Points:386,640 Joined:Feb 2012	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:19:20 AM Ignore Pramodsharma Report Abuse Efficiency and excellence come with time
arinkrat17 Champion Author Twin Cities Posts:6,285 Points:1,331,345 Joined:Aug 2009	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:18:07 AM Ignore arinkrat17 Report Abuse so did the quaility drop 80% also didn't it
rippinusoff Champion Author Lexington Posts:7,403 Points:1,487,775 Joined:May 2007	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:16:55 AM Ignore rippinusoff Report Abuse ok
dbecks44 Champion Author Michigan Posts:1,342 Points:431,455 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:14:50 AM Ignore dbecks44 Report Abuse Good for the foreign outfits. I wonder if the american solar companies have started working on this or if their still getting artificially bloated on the government teat . . .
GasSpy007 Champion Author New York City Posts:1,816 Points:487,350 Joined:Nov 2011	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:12:57 AM Ignore GasSpy007 Report Abuse well thank goodness
dwbuddy Champion Author Fort Worth Posts:1,827 Points:749,710 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:12:38 AM Ignore dwbuddy Report Abuse good and it took the price of gas to go up to $5/gal U.S. to make this happen? wonder what would happen if it went to $8/gal -- almost free maybe?
EXTREMESNOW Champion Author Medford Posts:8,910 Points:1,821,540 Joined:Jul 2006	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:12:17 AM Ignore EXTREMESNOW Report Abuse ok
Martillo Champion Author Dallas Posts:1,594 Points:729,160 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:12:12 AM Ignore Martillo Report Abuse good news.
f4driver Champion Author Maine Posts:2,520 Points:684,320 Joined:Aug 2007	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:12:05 AM Ignore f4driver Report Abuse Uh Oh...the installer's unions ain't gonna like that.
MJIOWA Champion Author Iowa Posts:4,818 Points:1,076,970 Joined:Nov 2009	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:11:45 AM Ignore MJIOWA Report Abuse ok
dacofa Champion Author Nevada Posts:5,373 Points:1,148,820 Joined:Jan 2010	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:11:06 AM Ignore dacofa Report Abuse better
amayne11 Champion Author Vancouver Posts:1,751 Points:499,000 Joined:Nov 2011	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:11:03 AM Ignore amayne11 Report Abuse This technology must be cost effective to work
repeater1 Champion Author Topeka Posts:8,298 Points:2,364,845 Joined:Oct 2005	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:11:01 AM Ignore repeater1 Report Abuse Keep on and it might get to the point that average man could afford to install
Wanda127 Champion Author Florida Posts:2,494 Points:914,030 Joined:May 2010	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:10:55 AM Ignore Wanda127 Report Abuse Good
Digger52 Champion Author Chicago Posts:2,402 Points:847,960 Joined:Aug 2008	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:09:48 AM Ignore Digger52 Report Abuse Nice. . .
wt0826 Champion Author Ontario Posts:3,721 Points:835,175 Joined:Jun 2009	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:08:51 AM Ignore wt0826 Report Abuse ok
Tutootin Champion Author Toronto Posts:10,116 Points:3,076,455 Joined:Jun 2004	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:08:42 AM Ignore Tutootin Report Abuse berniMI, Great post!
techque Champion Author St. Louis Posts:8,650 Points:2,419,405 Joined:Apr 2005	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:06:32 AM Ignore techque Report Abuse where are the US manufacturers who have been recipients of taxpayer handouts ?
BlueVanGroup Champion Author Colorado Posts:7,202 Points:1,527,580 Joined:May 2008	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:06:01 AM Ignore BlueVanGroup Report Abuse Along with ATMs and self-checkout aisles, Obama will blame this for high employment.
mysub Champion Author Las Vegas Posts:8,906 Points:2,329,490 Joined:Apr 2006	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:05:22 AM Ignore mysub Report Abuse Price still needs to come down for most of us.
berniMI Champion Author Flint Posts:7,675 Points:1,105,230 Joined:Oct 2009	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:03:39 AM Ignore berniMI Report Abuse I agree w/ Dutch Treat MI , considering there is no middle class, and the entire population that would benefit from these panels are not able to afford them, but need them. Notice in the article, pricing not included!!
olebufnav Champion Author Omaha Posts:3,971 Points:1,022,255 Joined:Nov 2008	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:03:02 AM Ignore olebufnav Report Abuse Still too expensive and unreliable.
DutchTreatMI Champion Author Grand Rapids Posts:3,310 Points:751,690 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:00:54 AM Ignore DutchTreatMI Report Abuse Sounds like they're going in the right direction; now if they can make the price low enough for the lower middle class and the poor to be able to afford them as they would benefit the most from this.
Mr.Mom All-Star Author Minnesota Posts:662 Points:165,350 Joined:Sep 2003	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:00:52 AM Ignore Mr.Mom Report Abuse need more sun in this part of the country
dad2two Champion Author Dallas Posts:3,538 Points:749,420 Joined:May 2010	Message Posted: Jul 6, 2012 11:00:19 AM Ignore dad2two Report Abuse The installation side being cheaper and more standardized is a good thing. The problem is that there are no American companies coming up with these innovations, despite all of the government $$.