Industry Analyst Predicts 50 Percent Drop In Solar Project Costs
New Orleans LA (SPX) Apr 07, 2011 GoSolarUSA was buoyed on Tuesday by an energy industry researcher's prediction that the cost of developing a solar power project will fall by half worldwide in the next decade. Michael Liebreich, chairman of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, said at a conference in New York that the cost of large solar photovoltaic projects, which currently average $3.02 per watt, will decline to $1.45 per watt by 2020. It was a welcome prediction for an emerging industry still struggling to wrest market share away from cheaper fossil-fuel and nuclear energy companies. "The most powerful driver in our industry is the relentless reduction of costs," Liebreich said. "In a decade the cost of solar projects is going to halve again." Many experts agree that continued innovation will also be required to reduce costs on the scale New Energy Finance suggests. Green energy companies such as GoSolarUSA are not the only ones striving towards price parity between solar power and fossil-based electricity. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Energy announced its new SunShot initiative designed to increase the efficiency of solar manufacturing processes, optimize the performance of solar installations and streamline the permitting process for solar projects. The initiative's goal is ambitious: reducing the total costs of photovoltaic solar energy systems by 75 percent over the next decade. "For the U.S. to regain a position of leadership in the global solar market, government support will be an absolute necessity," said GSLO President and CEO Tyson Rohde. "Eliminating solar soft costs and permitting delays is an ideal first step in helping to make solar power a viable alternative in this country, and we're pleased that the current administration is showing signs that it agrees." GoSolarUSA is dedicated to funding the development of new solar technologies such as the Volt Solar Charger, a battery pack accessory that utilizes a built-in photovoltaic solar cell to double the talk time of current Apple iPhone models using renewable energy. The initial manufacturing run of the Volt Solar Charger is nearing completion in China. GoSolarUSA is dedicated to aggressively acquiring, developing and marketing the most promising and potentially profitable technology available. Tech innovations such as the Volt Solar Charger may allow GoSolarUSA to successfully compete in a global marketplace, which includes BP, Exxon Mobile, Royal Dutch Shell and Total S.A.
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