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DoDo, this is excellent, but i must point out that cost numbers are skewed as Chinese panels enter the market at much lower costs.  Actual performance (including long-term) has to be taken into account for true numbers.  From a colleague, it seems chinese exports to California's solar rush went from several % to around 30% in just several years, or so i'm told.  (don't know actual figures.)

But the trend is clear, following exactly as the industry predicted, and wind has shown is valid.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Fri Jan 15th, 2010 at 06:34:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Chinese products may be a factor, but the industry usually explains the year-long steep fall, as well as the plateau before, with changes on the demand side: the rapid expansion and then abrupt collapse of the Spanish market, following changes in the feed-in law.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Fri Jan 15th, 2010 at 06:58:54 AM EST
[ Parent ]
What's the lifetime of the Chinese cells?

We know Chinese cars and trains don't have the kind of lifetime that you'd expect from German hardware. Or even American hardware. So it seems reasonable to consider that when doing cost calculations.

- Jake

If you only spend 20 minutes of the rest of your life on economics, go spend them here.

by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Fri Jan 15th, 2010 at 10:07:48 AM EST
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