The Arizona Republic – Is Home Solar Energy Affordable?

« Review of the Toyota 2007 Camry Hybrid | Main | Research into Quantum Dots helping solar cell efficiency »

The Arizona Republic – Is Home Solar Energy Affordable?

By MB-BigB | November 26, 2006

Arizona Republic has an article describing how some Arizona home builders are offering incentive loaded deals to new homeowners to get them to add solar panels onto their new construction houses. VIP Homes recently became one of the first Arizona homebuilders to incorporate solar generated electricity into its construction projects. The combination of tax breaks, rebates, and efficiency are finally making the projects worthwhile. Although tax breaks and rebates are expected to decline in coming years, increases in solar cell efficiency and decreases in production costs should help homebuilders maintain that balance.

Sean Seitz, owner of Scottsdale-based American Solar Electric Inc., said “photovoltaic cells have been getting 1 to 2percent more efficient each year and that the “economy of scale” in production should drive that percentage even higher in coming years. “The computer-chip industry has been getting more and more out of the same package for years,” Seitz said. “The key thing for our industry ultimately is determining what is the limit of how much we can generate from 1 square foot of solar module.”"