[Watchdogs] Solar power as cheap as from the grid- new panels achieve "grid parity"

[Merle L. Moden]

Andy:

Although a few provisions of the LCRA contract have become known, the 
payments amounts in the LCRA contract regarding demand charges remain a 
secret, as far as I know.  Do you have information about the prices we 
pay for peak energy?  If so, please share those numbers with the 
Watchdogs.  I have requested and have been refused any information about 
the terms of the LCRA contract.

This secrecy has been an impediment to any meaningful cost comparisons 
among the various energy sources.

You say that this development will allow PEC member-owners to own their 
own power.  PEC member-owners have always had the opportunity to own 
their own power.  I assume that you meant that these lower costs for 
solar panels will provide the impetus for the PEC to subsidize these 
costs, or provide low-interest loans for member-owners choosing to 
install solar panels.

Thanks.

Mr. Merle L. Moden
1111 Thompson Ranch Road
Wimberley, Texas 78676-6129
512 847-1335


On 7/1/2011 1:25 PM, Andy Wilson wrote:
>
> Solar power has long been assailed as "too expensive", but QSolar will 
> begin shipping panels to California later this month that achieve 
> "grid parity"-- meaning they will produce electricity for as cheap as 
> the average market cost. Now, in this case it's the average market 
> cost in California, which is more expensive. The point is that for 
> less than what we pay LCRA for our peak energy, co-op member-owners 
> can truly own their own power.
>
>
> To get to that cost, PEC would probably have to buy quite a few panels 
> to get the bulk discount.  However, with San Antonio and Austin's 
> solar programs, and everyone from Bluebonnet to San Marcos to 
> Georgetown looking at alternatives, this might be something where all 
> of the public power entities up and down the I-35 corridor work 
> together to buy in bulk from the same supplier to bring costs down. 
>  This is an example of the "cooperation among cooperatives" principle 
> I think that is worth exploring.
>
>
> ~~Andy
>
>
> http://www.electroiq.com/photovoltaics/2011/06/1443360111/qsolar-will-achieve-grid-parity-on-a-commercial-scale-with-crystalline-silicon-and-plans-to-start-sh.html?cmpid=ENLPVTimesJune302011
>
>
>   QSolar Will Achieve Grid Parity on a Commercial Scale with
>   Crystalline Silicon and Plans to Start Shipments of Kruciwatt PV
>   Panels in Q4 2011
>
> QSolar Limited ("QSolar" or the "Company")(CNSX: QSL) is pleased to 
> announce that it will be the first solar company in the world to 
> achieve grid parity in the manufacturing of high efficiency 
> crystalline silicon solar panels on a commercial scale. ... The 
> initial production run that will achieve grid parity status will be to 
> fulfil the $75.4 million order that was previously announced for 
> Commercial Solar Design Inc. of California (April 21, 2011).
>
> Andreas Tapakoudes, President & CEO of QSolar commented, *"The 
> ultimate objective for solar industry participants is to achieve grid 
> parity, which means that they can produce electricity from the sun at 
> the same overall cost as the commercially available cost of 
> electricity produced by fossil fuels. Until now this objective has not 
> been achieved on a commercial scale of production.* With QSolar's 
> proprietary Kruciwatt wafer manufacturing process, the Company has 
> already achieved grid parity in the laboratory and is now working on 
> scaling up its production to commercial quantities. The Company 
> believes this grid parity status will be achieved in Q4 this year. 
> With the manufacturing cost of our Kruciwatt panels below $0.74/W, and 
> in view of the fact that commercially available panels are selling at 
> around $1.50/W in volume quantities, QSolar will be in an extremely 
> strong position in terms of market penetration and operating profits."
>
>
>
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