Solar PV panel availability

[BT Humble]

This is a snippet from RAINBOW POWER COMPANY LTD E-mail Newsletter #73 (http://www.rpc.com.au/), that I thought might be of interest.

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1.   PV PANELS:  Germany and the EU have commenced a program to double

their renewable energy to 22% by the year 2010. This is expected to cost

US$27.7 billion. They have done the 100,000 roofs; now they are going

for 1,000,000 rooftop installations! Virtually the entire world's

production (700MW) has been ordered by Germany. All PV manufacturers are

scrambling to meet the demand and hopefully to maintain supply to

existing customers.

While Europe and most of the Western world are making great advances to

increase the use of renewable energy, the Coalition Of The Willing - the

USA, UK and Oz, are notable exceptions.

For the next 18 months, there could be a shortage of panels,

particularly if existing suppliers need more than their usual

requirements.  At the moment, we have a good supply of KC80s in stock.

There is also world pressure on the PV price. We expect an initial price

rise of around 3% in the near future.

While this all sounds like bad news, I think in the long term there will

be positive results. World production, competition and economics of

scale will eventually help to maintain or lower prices in the long run.

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BTH

[12volt dan]

I heard that from my supplier also. With any luck it might spur more production and bring the costs down in the future

[BT Humble]

I was thinking that too.

BTH

2 months off the grid (hey, you have to start somewhere!) ;-)

[wooferhound]

BT said that there would possably be a 3% rise in PV sales prices. Then after a period of time prices would come down and (possably) stay down.

I think the prices will stay high after the increase . . .

[thunderhead]

"Coalition of the willing"?  Please be careful with that generalisation!

Here in Britain there is a scheme to fit schools and other Government buildings with solar collectors that has been going on some time.  There has been legislation mandating power company support for grid-tie for more than a decade, dating back to the Thatcher (Reagan) years, and a long term goal to reduce CO2 emissions by generating electricity for renewable sources.

http://www.britainusa.com/sections/articles_show.asp?SarticleType=1&Article_ID=5291&i=104

Then, of course, there's the Kyoto Protocol, the underlying cause of all this interest in alternative energy.  Australia may have withdrawn from Kyoto, and the USA never joined, but Britain has been carrying the can for other EU nations, in particular Ireland and Spain.  So has Germany, of course, which is why they're buying all those solar panels.

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/yourenv/639312/641102/644077/644095/?lang=_e

Germany and the UK are the only countries to have met the 1992 targets they agreed to at the 1990 talks.

In a country like Britain, where the climate gives reliable wind and less reliable sun, most of the interest is in wind power.  Solar is only really used in urban environments: those schools and government buildings.  In Germany, which has a continental climate, the situation is different.  With our local weather, wind power costs about 20% of the cost of solar per kWh per year.  In London, you only get 8 hours of sunshine per day in June, and only 2 hours per day in December.  But the wind always blows.

http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/renewables/publications/pdfs/windfs5.pdf

The UK may not be doing enough, but they are doing something.

[BT Humble]

See the bit up there between the two dotted lines?  Those are somebody else's words, not mine.

I'm well aware that there's often (usually?) a yawning gulf between the attitudes and opinions of "The government of country X" and "The people of country X".

For example, even though I happen to be an Australian I've never voted for John Howard's party, and I thought the whole "Let's-go-invade-Iraq" thing was a seriously bad idea.

Sorry to have apparently touched a nerve there, but I can assure you that kind of thing works both ways.

proffers handshake of friendship

BTH

[thunderhead]

No, I understand that the bit was quoted.  I recognised it wasn't your generalisation but someone elses: that's what I meant when I said "be careful with it".  Sorry if that didn't come over. :-(

I've also E-mailed the people responsible for the newsletter, for what it's worth.

Like you I think Iraq was a bad business, and it's the main thing that's motivated my recent interests in AE: I want a car that uses something else but petrochemicals for power.  I can't shake the feeling as I fill my car (at UK3.70 - US$6.60 - a gallon) that I am an accessory to murder.

Fortunately, because I live in the UK, I can buy my electricity from a renewable-only supplier.  10% of our country's electricity comes from AE.  Now I just need to get my car to run on it.  (Wish me luck!)

And yes, that hand of friendship is willingly accepted.

[tecker]

   I'd be willing to bet Mrs T never goes anywhere without her trusty air conditioner . There's too much chance of a bo scandal

[BT Humble]

Based on the last picture I saw of Maggie, I suspect she won't be with us for much longer.

BTH

[BT Humble]

They offer "green electricity" here too, but the overwhelming majority of ours comes from burning coal.  

Hey, something incredible happened at my place on the weekend:  water fell from the sky!  What's with that? Should I call those nice people at Ripley's Believe It Or Not? ;-)

BTH