New Low Cost Solar Panel Kits
A company called Greenfield Solar are trying their very best to cut costs by offering a small 1.5 Kw installation that can be assembled by two people in half a day using regular tools (wrenches, screwdrivers, etc).
I really liked the mission statement they had on their website:
At GreenField, our goal is to drive solar energy into mainstream adoption through lower costs, without subsidies. We have developed a radically different approach to solar energy, using high intensity concentration, using a unique combination of cell technology and innovative system design. Our technology was developed to be highly scalable, allowing us to increase production rapidly, at low cost. Unlike conventional PV arrays and even other concentrator PV systems, our products are able to provide electric power and heat at the same time in the same place using the same equipment, providing the unique advantage of two valuable energy forms simultaneously.
To prove their dedication to offering low cost solar panel installations lets look at this system. Current solar panel installations cost about $8 per watt of power produced, whereas Greenfields setup costs $4 per watt of power produced.
Although these panels aren't as efficient as the ones I talked about a couple days ago, since they have lower production costs it makes them cost comparable to those high efficiency ones.
How they achieved this feat is quite interesting. Lets think of a regular solar panel as on pancake (not far from the truth). What Greenfield has done is layer the solar panels into a bunch of pancakes stacked one on top of another. According to Greenfield this greatly increases the efficiency of manufacturing which is why they can offer it at a lower price point.
This solar panel installation is small enough to fit in many peoples backyards, and produces enough power (12 Kwh over 8 hours) to completely power an energy efficient home. The best part? It costs around $6000... roughly 50% less than any comparable system.
This past summer Greenfield introduced their first production model to NASA Glenn Research Center.