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This is the first bit of encouraging news about a price and simplicity breakthrough in solar panel production I have read. The high installed first cost of existing solar panel technoloby is still a barrier to ever reaching the "break even" on a home solar system in a reasonable time. If somebody can come up with a way to attain something like a 5 year break even on savings vs. installed first cost, a lot of people and builders will begin to pay attention and consider installation.
I've been following Nanosolar for quite a while now. This really is exciting - they're aiming for the same price per KW as traditional electrical service providers, which will make solar available to everyone.
That's an interesting development. But it doesn't look like it is here yet. The Nanosolar thin film technology is here and just needs to produce more to get the costs down. As yet, their first year's production is already bought by utility companies.
These developments make me envision a future that could really happen where every house is required to put on solar roofs so that gradually we move to a solar energy power structure. If it doesn't become standard, then it will stay fringe and won't solve the big problems.
A paint on steel solar collectors brings on many questions. Is the steel substrate carrying a charge? How would one maintain it and keep it safe if it is? How durable is the paint as a protective cover and how durable is the solar collection attribute?
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