Solar Keeps Getting Hotter
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 10.16.05
Wired News has a nice piece about how hot the solar power industry is in the US (and also the world, but the article is about the US...) thanks to tax incentives at the state level and the booming construction sector. Increased awareness and high fossil fuel prices certainly have a part to play too. "Evergreen Solar (ESLR), a maker of solar cells and panels, currently trades above $8. A year ago, the stock was below $3. Another developer of solar cells, DayStar Technologies (DSTI), has seen its stock surge in the past year -- from a low of $2.24 to just above $9 now. Energy Conversion Devices (ENER) and Spire (SPIR), two other solar players, are also up sharply for the year. That said, solar stocks have dipped in recent days, in concert with a drop in oil prices." The Million Solar Roofs initiative in California could also boost solar, but as long as the solar panel shortage isn't dealt with, prices won't go much lower and massive projects will be hard to pull off. In the meantime, you can always try a smaller solar setup. ::Solar Power Biz Heats Up
It's interesting to see what happens to prices when tax incentives are offered. Demand gets spurred, outpaces supply and prices go up to about the value of the tax savings! At least they (coupled with fuel costs) are spurring people to look at and invest in these systems.
I think it's interesting that solar prices started to rise just as gas prices are becoming prohibitive. It's too bad that the infrastructure wasn't in place to take advantage of the current situation. Is it too convenient?