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DrumBeat: January 13, 2009
The Oil Drum — ... Still, the region’s leaders know energy and money, having built their wealth on oil. They understand that oil is a finite resource, vulnerable to competition from new energy sources. Alternative-Energy Companies Grow Even as Others Falter While many small businesses continue to struggle with tight credit and declining sales, one fledgling industry is seeing a boom in investment and sales growth: alternative energy. Prices for rooftop solar systems fall as supply grows Here's a bright spot in an ...

Solar Cell, Module Costs to Fall Dramatically
Triple Pundit: People, Planet, Profit — ... This, along with the impact of the recession, sharp reductions in rebates in the key German and Spanish markets and more incentives in the US, on balance is expected to drive prices significantly lower. Effective prices for rooftop solar systems in the US may fall as much as 50%, according to a USA Today news report. ...

Solar Manufacturing: Not So Sunny
Green Inc. — ... Mr. Stewart, the situation is reversed, and manufacturers are calling installers to say, “‘Hey, do you need any product this month? Can I sell you a bit more?’” Mr. Stewart said that European solar markets have also slowed, which has helped loosen up supply. SolarCraft, he says, still has “a lot of buyers right now,” but the number would be even higher if there were more innovative loan programs. “A lot of people don’t want to mess with their home-equity lines of credit,” he said. USA Today reports that the price of rooftop solar systems is down by 8 to 10 percent since ...

As Supplies Grow and Demand Falls, Solar Power Systems Become Cheaper
Environmental Leader — January 15, 2009 As Supplies Grow and Demand Falls, Solar Power Systems Become Cheaper as-supplies-grow-9215.jpg The cost for rooftop solar systems, including installations, have declined 8 percent to 10 percent since October due to an oversupply of worldwide manufacturing capacity and lower demand. Prices for rooftop solar systems are expected to drop another 15 percent to 20 percent this year, USA Today reports . New Energy projects an oversupply of nearly 4 gigawatts of solar modules in 2009, or enough electricity to supply 2.6 million homes. Adding to the supply, both Spain ...

Crashing Panel Prices - Should Developers Gloat?
Celsias Expert Articles — ... On the surface, the last several months have been good for installers and solar developers as panel prices have come crashing down.  Not only has the United States seen a substantial reduction in installed costs of PV installations but Europe has also experienced a rapid decline in panel pricing of close to ...

World’s First Cargo Ship Propelled by Solar Panels
INHABITAT — solar ship, solar ship, green shipping, solar cargo ship, auriga leader, port of long beach, toyota, nyk These days, it seems everything from rooftops to cell phones come equipped with solar panels. Now, huge cargo ships are the latest entities to join the solar power fray. The M/V Auriga Leader , now docked at the Port of Long Beach in California, recently unveiled an impressive array of 328 solar panels that will power the ship’s main electrical grid, making this the first ocean liner to be directly propelled by the sun’s rays. The ship’s new solar ...