The cost of solar panels installation is now the only thing preventing solar from being as affordable as conventional energy, according to an international consulting firm.
Eclareon analyzed the cost of solar energy on the open market in Spain, Italy and Germany, and found that the days of solar-generated energy costing more than conventionally generated energy are a thing of the past. According to the report, in those three countries where solar energy is widely used, the cost of solar-generated energy is the same as energy generated by other means.
The only problems, the report indicates, come in the form of strange government regulations and the initial cost of the solar panels. For example, in Italy where solar energy now costs the same to buy from the power grid as conventionally generated energy, lawmakers are considering legislation that will make it illegal for homeowners to use solar energy generated by their own solar panels.
The study also looked at solar energy trends in Brazil, Chile, France and Mexico, where the cost of solar panels and installation is still significantly higher, thus making the cost of solar-generated energy higher than the cost of other forms of energy. The researchers conclude that as the cost of installation declines, the leveled cost of energy will also decline, making solar energy much more affordable.
Right now, Germany and Spain are among the world’s leaders in the use of solar energy, even though they are less geographically desirable as solar energy sites than some parts of the United States, especially the Southwest.
Thanks to tax policy, it is now fairly inexpensive to have solar panels installed in California. Unfortunately, these tax rebates may not be around forever, so it is important to take advantage while they last.