On 24/11/2011 10:49, harry wrote:
On Nov 24, 10:34 am, Martin
wrote:

Remind me how long the sunny winter days are in Edinburgh at 56N.

You could probably get the PV array price down another factor of 2 or so
by buying in bulk from Chinese companies no-one has ever heard of if you
don't mind taking a chance on ending up with nothing at all or dodgy
units that work briefly then leak and corrode in our climate.

I am talking about available from makers now (at least in theory
according to their websites) as opposed to "jam tomorrow" promises.

Nobody knows how low the price of a solar panel could fall. I bet the
Chinese knock them out for a tenner for the big ones.

Cost to make them is bounded by the high cost of refining pure silicon
or even more exotic III-V semiconductor compounds at present. If someone
can produce screen or inkjet printable organic chemistry PV that is
photostable in sunlight that would be game changing even if the
efficiency was relatively poor. Until that happens the cost of PV will
always be high because they are competing for refined silicon against
the semiconductor industry and chipmakers have deeper pockets,

The competition is just coming on right now.
Someone told me a 42" plasma TV costs £20 to actually make.

And you believed them? I'd hazard a guess that even for the bare screen
with no electronics at all that number is low by at least factor of two.

Would you like to buy London Bridge?

Regards,
Martin Brown