 |
Green Energy:
Price Drop for Solar Panels Could Spur Demand |
Solar electricity is forecasted to get much more affordable in the months ahead, spurring a potential increase in demand. According to an article in Technology Review, the shortage of the silicon used in solar panel production is almost over. This, industry analysts predict, could lead to a sharp drop in prices over the next couple of years, making solar electricity comparable to power from the grid.
Technology Review notes that high demand generated by government subsidies worldwide and a shortage of processed silicon have kept prices for solar-generated power much higher than average electricity prices over the past few years. The article points out that solar power is more than three times the cost of electricity from conventional sources, citing figures from the industry tracking firm Solarbuzz and the United States' Energy Information Administration. Solar power cost about $4 a watt in the early 2000s, but silicon shortages, which began in 2005, have pushed up prices to more than $4.80 per watt, according to Solarbuzz.
Crystalline silicon is the active material in the most common type of solar panel, and the increased use of solar power has led to the shortage of the material. In the Technology Review article, Travis Bradford, at the Prometheus Institute, points out that the growth in silicon production hasn't kept pace with the rise in solar power. "It takes about two or three years to add capacity." And Ted Sullivan, an analyst at Lux Research, adds that, "the shortage has been severe enough to drive up silicon prices to more than 10 times normal levels, to $450 a kilogram."
Technology Review reporter Kevin Bullis notes that the added silicon production capacity is now starting to begin operations. While only 15,000 tons of silicon were available for use in solar cells in 2005, by 2010, this number could grow to 123,000 tons. This, according to the article, will allow existing and planned production of solar panels to ramp up, increasing supply.
"What this means, practically, is that solar module prices are going to come down dramatically in the next two or three years," states analyst Bradford in Technology Review. Bradford emphasizes that prices for solar panels could drop by as much as 50 percent from 2006 to 2010. In areas that get a lot of sun, that will translate to solar electricity costs of about 10 cents per kilowatt hour, matching the average price of electricity in the United States. The result is more affordable solar power and an increased market for this type of energy according to the article.
Source: Technology Review |
 |
 |
Salary Expectations in Today's Economy |
A recent survey by Jobfox, an online career connection site, reports that many job seekers – including in-demand technology specialists – are accepting new positions at lower salaries than they did just a month ago. In fact, some median yearly salary ranges being asked for by job seekers declined $10,000 compared with April, according to the survey.
Jobfox noted that career functions showing up in the shrinking-salary column include software design and development, product management, networking and system administration, finance, and government contracts administration.
Not all is gloomy however on the salary front. The Jobfox survey also reports that many new job openings are being filled by professionals who are still getting a personal salary increase to go along with greater responsibilities. Compensation experts have long observed that when moving to a bigger job, it's reasonable to expect a bump of 15 percent to 20 percent. Survey findings are also supported by a Wall Street Journal article emphasizing that professionals can still command top dollar for what they do if they offer top-line skills in an in-demand career field or industry and know how to market themselves on the high end.
Sources: www.jobfox.com, Wall Street Journal
|
|
