Ecnerwal said:
I'd be very surprised if they were low cost, as they have always been
overpriced relative to crystalline cells, despite claims that they could
be made ever so inexpensively.
The lowest cost I see for them is around $4/watt, and I don't know the
seller I found that at (ie, if they are a reputable dealer.)
Reputable dealers are selling crystalline cells at $3-3.50/watt. Some of
those reputable dealers used to sell unisolar and don't any more, which
might or might not indicate anything.
They are low power density - ie, for a given area covered with panels,
they make relatively little power - not a particular concern if you have
lots of space and no need for maximum power out of it.
If your roof is not standing seam metal in good shape, expected to last
50 years or so, you'll eat a fairly large cost when you have to re-roof
and find that your roof applied panels don't peel back up intact. And I
don't think it actually sticks to any other roof surface reliably.
Thanks for your comments....reroofing is something I have not thought
about.....my present roof covering is a membrane....roof is fairly
flat...about five years old....is something will have to think about.
Maybe can find a long lasting adhesive that will work...that somehow
can be softened to remove panels....something I have to check on...
I have found them on web in the area of 3.50 watt....and think with the
present decline in sales they and others are experiencing (large solar
projects not being able to get funding at moment)....that should be able
to get them at lower price then that.....looking on the web, production
is being cut back all over.
I think the reason they have had trouble selling to the home consumer is
their look.....putting this floppy sheet next to a super nice looking
box that is five or six times the weight of the sheet and looks like it
will last forever.....and then telling the customer the sheet will
produce almost as much power as the box over its lifetime makes it a
hard sell....
Also if you are a installer....which one will you make the most money
installing....??......a couple hours slopping down some glue....or a
couple days drilling mounting holes and assembling mounting
brackets...and installing.......
They seem to have no problem selling to corporations....probably because
a corporation will hire a solar engineer to look over the product....and
corporation could care less how they look.....as long as they work as
advertised. Another advantage to corporation is not having to mess with
after installation....no worry about wind damage....hail damage.....or
excess weight on roof structure......no holes/minimum leaks....
I had realized that they will take up a little more area then box panels.
Anyway thanks for bringing up reroofing....
have fun.....sno
--
Correct Scientific Terminology:
Hypothesis - a guess as to why or how something occurs
Theory - a hypothesis that has been checked by enough experiments
to be generally assumed to be true.
Law - a hypothesis that has been checked by enough experiments
in enough different ways that it is assumed to be truer then a theory.
Note: nothing is proven in science, things are assumed to be true.