Solar Cell Update

[iFred]

Report on greed for solar cell prices

Originally when I and others purchased the singular solar cells from Ebay, a pound of cells cost us $42 US + Ship/handling + Duty in October of 2004. Since then I have seen them increase now to an astounding cost of $75 US + Ship/Handle + Duty for the same pound and quality 5 months later. Which you can be assured an estimated 1/4 will be broken.

This cost is totally outrageous, all things considering that we have put so much effort, time and money not to mention web page creation, pictures and writing into helping bring the technology out and helping certain Ebay members make a huge profit margin as it was and show that it could be done, helping along the way and being promised even more cells and continued grow. Which as you can clearly see has not happened. Instead the promise was null and void.

Rather what did happen was that all cells where removed temporarily and then a hugh price increase became shortly thereafter. Many where waiting and assured that all was well, however this was not to be. Promise broken.

However, things are now out of hand and totally unreasonable and what we have created is nothing less then pure and simple GREED. Nothing more, nothing less.

As a result I am forced to retaliate against this injustice, this and other Ebay individuals have taken advantage of my web page, pictures hard work, knowledge, writing and good nature for the purpose of advertising their products which I originally gave permission to do and to link to this web page which contained significant information (below is the link) , however, if greed is the total motive and means to an end then I ask that my link be removed from the advertisement until such a time that the price is fair.

If you purchase these cells from Ebay at such a high cost you continue the propagation of this greed and help them to further it and reinforce it. Not to mention your paying far to much. Greed is wrong.

Thank you for your attention in this matter.

Fred

http://www.internetfred.com

Internetfred.com gets more then 100,000 unique hits per month...

Incoming mail

I totally agree that greed and a business decision caused this. The factory, I will not name has changed the stakes. Originally we obtained these cells from a surplus dealer with a direct connection to the factory engineering department. He was able to purchase the cells from them at scrap prices with the intent on building a market for them.

My associate and I have been tapped to sell these on eBay as part of this program. The factory was following our progress and saw the response and our sales figures on eBay. The factory guys were not the same engineering personnel but their marketing staff. They then insisted they could sell them into the market developed by us and recover their manufacturing costs.

Now I don't blame them as a business decision. I sort of blame my source for not contracting with them to hold the agreed prices. This would have removed the sting a bit if it was spread over more time. I have been told we were selling them cheaper than the factory pays per pound for the raw materials. In order to make enough to cover our costs and make a bit the price needed to double.

We are now working on the remaining cells purchased from the earlier load. The new cells may or may not be able to be sold even at the current price as the factory again has seen what we get for them. The high demand for all energy products has fueled these changes and may cause more problems in the future. I may not accept any more of this product for resale after the current stock is sold. If you follow my generator sales the prices have not changed. Thank you for your patronage.

Bryon Kass

Thank you Bryon, I knew that you where not totally at fault. Thanks for the reply. That anwsers it...

http://www.internetfred.com

[pyrocasto]

It's totally retarded, but I would have done the same thing if it was my business. That's the business world for ya. They are not trying to make DIY buddies, they are trying to make money.

Well, now it's not worth it to buy the cells so I guess we'll have to go to wind and hydro only.

[Volvo farmer]

I agree it sucks. However I have just enough cells left over to make a 100W 24V panel. My array is 48V. I can pay $150 for another 100W of these cells or I can go buy 200W of commercial panels for about $900, it's a no-brainer.

On the other hand, I can sell the cells for which I paid about $90 for about twice that, $180. I could then apply the $90 profit and the $150 I didn't spend on the pricier cells towards the $900 I need to come up with for 200W of panels. Still a no-brainer, IMO. I'm getting a pretty consistent 50W/lb after breakage over my run of 12 lbs. Raw cells are about $1.50/watt which is still WAY less than commercial panels.

Here's my bitch-of-the-moment. Byron seems reluctant to sell these off-Ebay. I did not learn about him through Ebay, I learned about him through you (Ifred). So Ebay dings him $15 for the four pounds I want to buy. It seems to me either he or I should pocket the $15 since Ebay has nothing to do with this. Still he directs me there to buy them and is willing to take the hit on Ebay fees and Paypal fees before he will give me a price break for sending him a cashier's check off Ebay.

There's got to be some wierd reason for this because it makes no sense whatsoever financially.

[Jeff7]

The last word I heard from Bryon was that Evergreen was looking to lower their reject rate, and raise their prices. It's probably due to the massive increase in demand from Europe. If more states had realistic requirements and allowances for alternative power sources and grid-ties, there'd be a lot more solar panels on rooftops. Too many states either don't have any programs for net metering, or else they make it a paperwork nightmare to attempt it.

[jomoco]

Hey there iFred,

I know very little about solar technology, but was very impressed with what the folks at Nanosolar have developed. I would be interested in what you and the other good people on this board think of their new solar cells.

Check them out at http://www.nanosolar.com/products.htm

Thanks and regards,

jomoco

[ghurd]

It sucks.

At least 1 PV factory shut down a short time because they could not even get the stuff to grow the crystals.

But I DO know just how you feel.

A company said I had an entire niche market. All mine. They don't want to bother with it.

Then after 2 years of ads, giving away samples, travel, etc...

My sales went through the roof!

Then, all of a sudden, there is a loophole in the contract!

They decided "it was time, due to current market conditions, to go after a wider customer base on a global and regional scale".

I was just totally out of the picture. $50K in product and a second mortgage. And he starts selling the stuff to my custommers for LESS than I paid for mine!

He was activly going for my custommers saying there were 'improvements'. That I designed by the way!  And he was selling them old stuff that did not have my improvements!

Not only did I build and promote his market, I designed the product!

Had about the same thing happen with 2 other things, too.

SOBs.

Disgruntled,

G-

[Norm]

    With enough money backing you up...all

things are possible...it would seem!

                ( :>( Norm.

[Jeff7]

They say that the multicrystalline cells aren't aesthetically pleasing? I rather like that shiny, sparkly look. Big black sheets of solar cells....sure it's nice that they're providing power from the sun, but they are just big black sheets. Not really ugly, but nothing that'll turn your head.

[Norm]

  Just like black tarpaper roofs back in the

good old days....nothing particularly beautiful

about them either....wonder what they'd say if

they were selling manure?

                ( :>) Norm.