Sunpower :( is there any other compareable panels /cells ?

[Sunking]

Just in case there are some out there who still think solar farms don't use SP and buy the cheapest thing they can find.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sunpower-and-southern-california-edison-sign-contracts-for-711-megawatts-of-solar-power-113194464.html

Yes quality matters and those who know and plan and pay people to research it, go with quality.

What does commercial applications have to do with residential? If I want a 2 Mw system I can beat the crap out of the manufacture and hammer out a huge discount. A 2 to 10 Kw residence has ZERO leverage in negotiations.

[SoCalsolar]

SunKing read post #5

"A solar farm wouldn't use sunpower modules but rather would use the cheapest modules per watt possible for the space given. "

My post was in response to an earlier post(#5).

[bonaire]

Might be an example but is clearly not a common practice. Some solar farms, such as the 80mw one that went into Sarnia, Ontario, used thin film modules. One in the works in Pennsylvania is also looking at using cheaper modules to keep per watt prices under $2/watt.

The article you posted was from 2011, said they will use trackers, etc. that was in the heyday of planning higher priced projects. That project hasn't been constructed yet in rosamond, ca. I believe that the cost of this project will be prohibitive in any state other than California due to the details of the SCE PPA it is based on. Without a PPA, I doubt that anyone would justify the project.

How much government money is going into this SunPower project?

[SoCalsolar]

Here's a few more

Might be an example but is clearly not a common practice. Some solar farms, such as the 80mw one that went into Sarnia, Ontario, used thin film modules. One in the works in Pennsylvania is also looking at using cheaper modules to keep per watt prices under $2/watt.

The article you posted was from 2011, said they will use trackers, etc. that was in the heyday of planning higher priced projects. That project hasn't been constructed yet in rosamond, ca. I believe that the cost of this project will be prohibitive in any state other than California due to the details of the SCE PPA it is based on. Without a PPA, I doubt that anyone would justify the project.

How much government money is going into this SunPower project?

Here's a few more. SunPower is pretty active in the utility sized space (solar Farms).

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-04/pg-e-approved-to-buy-power-from-100-megawatt-sunpower-solar-farm.html

https://cfo.asu.edu/solar-installations-sunpower

http://dhhl.hawaii.gov/2013/03/08/five-megawatt-kalaeloa-solar-farm-now-generating-power-on-oahu/

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-26/sunpower-and-midamerican-start-building-california-solar-project.html

There are more happening all the time and yes the US Gov subsidizes solar as it does milk, oil, the poor, and the old. Any subsidies in Canada? not overly familiar with that market?

[bonaire]

Oh, Canada? Yea, they are overly subsidized with the Ontario FIT.

[JackTravis]

you can try boeing solar cells. but it is the best alternative for sunpowercorp

[russ]

you can try boeing solar cells. but it is the best alternative for sunpowercorp

Unfortunately the cost is prohibitive - if you can even buy them.

[JackTravis]

Unfortunately the cost is prohibitive - if you can even buy them.

yes i agree with you, because most of boeing are expensive. but when we need alternative for sunpower, boeing is the best

[russ]

yes i agree with you, because most of boeing are expensive. but when we need alternative for sunpower, boeing is the best

Nice that you agree with me but it is BS - the Boeing are ultra expensive - meant for NASA and their like.

[SunEagle]

Nice that you agree with me but it is BS - the Boeing are ultra expensive - meant for NASA and their like.

As russ states. Those panels are good for using on satellites where keeping down the size and weight is important. Way too expensive for normal everyday use at a home or business.

[joegovette]

SoCalsolar,
I wish I had the kind of money to spend that ya'll are looking at for solar farms artciles but I just don't, so with that said budget has to be a big consideration for me though I would still carefully consider spending more money on noticeably better quality panel but as stated earlier sunpower will not sell panel to me I have already asked them.

I think part of them not selling to individuals is the amount of cash they make on the installs. Sunpower also has a 25 year warranty on the install, panels, and output. Install on all of the panels has been overly expensive by every company that I had quote me prices. In the end, I went with Sunpower for the warranty, output, and got the price down to $4.50 a watt installed.

[FloridaSun]

you can try boeing solar cells. but it is the best alternative for sunpowercorp

bullpucky...

How much do Boeing's cells cost?

"A: Our standard UTJ CICs ordered in quantities providing a combined total of 5 KW (5000 Watts) or more cost approximately $250/W" (BOL, AM0, 28°C).

That would be a $125,000 minimum order.

"Solar panels, not including the insulated substrate which is assumed to be customer furnished, providing a total of 5 KW (BOL, AM0, 28°C) cost approximately $400/W, depending on specific customer technical and configuration requirements."

cost effective??

http://www.spectrolab.com/faqs-space.htm

edit: Still haven't heard anything new about terrestrial cells from boeing. If they were available, manufacturers would be using them.

[solarlover]

Well I took interest in the Sunpower X21 and X24 series solar panels , Unfortunately Sunpower doesn't want people to buy there newest solar panels I was told they ONLY sell to their dealers and I would have to purchase a complete system or nothing , they also do not sell to any other wholesales that resell the solar panels or so I was told by sunpower
Now with that said, I like the theory of the more efficient maxeon solar cells that have a solid copper backing instead of the thin wire found on common mono & poly panels So does anyone know of another company that make a similar solar panel to sunpowers X series high efficiency panels and that would be willing to sell to individuals ?

Most of the time manufacturers will not sell to an individual unless that individual is going to purchase a huge amount of solar panels- as in >100 KW worth of panels. It is simply not worth it from a financial standpoint for the manufacturer to sell directly to retail customers. On the other hand, and I don't know if you are still looking, but I found a company that is selling panels dirt cheap- xxxxx Mod note - no links to our sponsor's competition

I bought from them, and have been shouting from the rooftops about their cheap prices for anyone willing to listen and snag up a great deal. Their customer service was awesome- they answered my calls/emails within hours every single time- and they are licensed direct distributors for Kyocera panels.

My panels were $1.06/watt, after taxes. I asked them why they are selling so cheaply and they said they are a new, young company and simply trying to get their online store/business started. I was fine with that! I couldn't find any Kyocera panels that priced that cheaply- they were the cheapest but they were also brand new, full warranty, all of that stuff.

[russ]

I bought from them, and have been shouting from the rooftops about their cheap prices for anyone willing to listen and snag up a great deal.

Sounds like standard prices and an attempt for free advertising to me.

[solarlover]

Sounds like standard prices and an attempt for free advertising to me.

Russ, you are greatly mistaken. I searched high and low for Kyocera panels, because they seemed to be the highest quality/longest lasting/most "bang for your buck," from different blog and forum posts I read, over a 2 month period.

Sorry but you're wrong- nowhere else could I find them offered for a $1.06/watt except for at xxxxx Please, prove me wrong and find a website that offers them at that price. The only one I could find that came close to xxxxxxxxxx Facing South sells the same panels for $25 cheaper. But again, if you can find them cheaper I'll be surprised and humbeled.