Whatever political spin proponents or critics might want to put on the tariff decision, there is no question that solar panels from China now control about half of the American market, while panels from the United States control less than a third. American imports of Chinese solar panels have soared to $2.65 billion last year from $21.3 million in 2005.

While American manufacturers oppose the imports and filed the trade case against China, users of solar energy have benefited from low-cost Chinese solar panels. An American industry group composed of companies that sell and install solar panels said Tuesday that it was pleased with the relatively small size of the tariffs, having braced for higher ones.

nytimes, 20.03.12.

Solar grid parity is considered the tipping point for solar power, when installing solar power will cost less than buying electricity from the grid. It’s also a tipping point for the electricity system, when millions of Americans can choose energy production and self-reliance over dependence on their electric utility.

But this simple concept conceals a great deal of complexity. And given the stakes of solar grid parity, it’s worth exploring the details.

read more: grist.org, 15.01.2012.

energy economics! complicated.

but good to have this all explained,
and even better to know that we’re reaching parity. 
(and that we may soon have access to affordable sustainable energy for our own homes.)

Located in South Salt Lake, the TerraSol development will eventually include 60 high performance, super green homes all starting at the reasonable price of $217,900. Buyers can choose 3 different floor plans with 10 different exterior styles. The homes are all about 1500 sq feet with 2 or 3 bedrooms and boast the option of adding an unfinished basement. Designed by California-based KTGY Architects, the homes include a number of energy and water saving strategies. Each home comes standard with energy efficient, green features that include: spray foam and blown-in insulation, HERS (Home Energy Rating System) scores under 40, low-e windows, CFL lighting, 100% Energy Star 3.0 certification, and bio-based resource efficient engineered wood.

Each home includes solar voltaics, solar-thermal and geothermal technologies as standard features, which also qualify the home for a Federal and State Energy Tax Credit of $8,000. Garbett’s goal for the homes was to design and build environmentally friendly spaces for the first time homebuyer. This meant keeping keep costs as low as possible within construction, and also keeping energy costs down over the life of the home. Garbett is promising electricity bills as low as $5 per month and natural gas bills as low as $7.

inhabitat, 11.11.11.

wish the writer wrote something about where this “community” is. The driveway and garage for each home make me think it’s just a “green’d up” cool-looking suburb. 

but take away the driveway and large green lawn (??! water use??!) and it looks like one of those renovated loft/homes in south/west Berkeley.

The economist talks about fracking and the cost of solar power.

..So it’s worth pointing out that special treatment for fracking makes a mockery of free-market principles. Pro-fracking politicians claim to be against subsidies, yet letting an industry impose costs without paying compensation is in effect a huge subsidy. They say they oppose having the government “pick winners,” yet they demand special treatment for this industry precisely because they claim it will be a winner.

…

But Solyndra’s failure was actually caused by technological success: the price of solar panels is dropping fast, and Solyndra couldn’t keep up with the competition. In fact, progress in solar panels has been so dramatic and sustained that, as a blog post at Scientific American put it, “there’s now frequent talk of a ‘Moore’s law’ in solar energy,” with prices adjusted for inflation falling around 7 percent a year.

This has already led to rapid growth in solar installations, but even more change may be just around the corner. If the downward trend continues — and if anything it seems to be accelerating — we’re just a few years from the point at which electricity from solar panels becomes cheaper than electricity generated by burning coal.

And if we priced coal-fired power right, taking into account the huge health and other costs it imposes, it’s likely that we would already have passed that tipping point.

But will our political system delay the energy transformation now within reach?

nytimes, 06.11.11.

apartments in SF’s Hayes Valley, dec.1997.