The Way Humans Get Electricity Is About to Change Forever

[Marlin]

The Way Humans Get Electricity Is About to Change Forever





Rooftop (small-scale) solar in yellow.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-23/the-way-humans-get-electricity-is-about-to-change-forever

[Marlin]

Not in our lifetime

Since the projection is to 2040 that is a possibility, not that your response is any more than trolling as usual.

[GLW]

Since the projection is to 2040 that is a possibility, not that your response is any more than trolling as usual.

I'll see it (whatever the chance of it happening might be),...

[HydroDave63]

Not in our lifetime

Since the projection is to 2040 that is a possibility, not that your response is any more than trolling as usual.

So....I have a friend who knows a guy who has a friend that works in the industry....who says the most likely result is neither of these options. The problems being:

1. That big pretty yellow wedge for solar is science fiction. At $5/watt build cost vs. the average cost of residential electricity, it only pays for itself north of 12 cents/kWh residential within the expected lifetime of the equipment. Makes sense for Hawaii, not so much for Wisconsin. Hail skews the equation further to the left. Also, utility scale PV at current efficiency runs ~100 MW per square mile. The city-dwellers out there may think that covering the Southwest with PV is the way to go, but the Native tribes living there, endangered/protected species and rough terrain preclude that option.

2. Even though some politicians try to pReserve coal and others to Destroy it, showing the curve slope downwards while Red China keeps the furnaces of Mordor using more coal than the rest of the planet combined https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_energy_consumption#Coal is ludicrous. If anything, once the coal liquids industry (improved Davy process) picks up, the economic value of the coal may increase by a factor of 5-10.

3. Wind. Even though it has a lower build cost ~$2/watt, the cost of new transmission lines needed to send the power to places other than local niche ( i.e. forced by renewable mandates) markets is a looming ceiling.

Should we try to innovate and improve on what is out there, sure. But the breathless predictions of "about to change forever" is the kind of hype that resonates more with the hipsters posting about "disruptive tech", than us dinosaurs actually keeping the lights on at their local free wi-fi flavored coffee place.

[Marlin]

1. That big pretty yellow wedge for solar is science fiction. At $5/watt build cost vs. the average cost of residential electricity, it only pays for itself north of 12 cents/kWh residential within the expected lifetime of the equipment. Makes sense for Hawaii, not so much for Wisconsin. Hail skews the equation further to the left. Also, utility scale PV at current efficiency runs ~100 MW per square mile. The city-dwellers out there may think that covering the Southwest with PV is the way to go, but the Native tribes living there, endangered/protected species and rough terrain preclude that option.

Current technology I agree but solar has an increasing efficiency and lowering cost similar to Moore's Law for computers so I tend not to agree.

2. Even though some politicians try to pReserve coal and others to Destroy it, showing the curve slope downwards while Red China keeps the furnaces of Mordor using more coal than the rest of the planet combined https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_energy_consumption#Coal is ludicrous. If anything, once the coal liquids industry (improved Davy process) picks up, the economic value of the coal may increase by a factor of 5-10.

Money talks and with severe health issues from smog and other air pollutants I tend to agree with those who project cleaner energy sources in China. Couple that with Solar Moore's Law tomorrow is another day.

3. Wind. Even though it has a lower build cost ~$2/watt, the cost of new transmission lines needed to send the power to places other than local niche ( i.e. forced by renewable mandates) markets is a looming ceiling.

   Wind, the bird Cuisinart of power production, does not show that much increase in projected power share. There is not a large projection of increased efficiency and lowered cost so I agree.

Should we try to innovate and improve on what is out there, sure. But the breathless predictions of "about to change forever" is the kind of hype that resonates more with the hipsters posting about "disruptive tech", than us dinosaurs actually keeping the lights on at their local free wi-fi flavored coffee place.

That is just the title, the meat of the article is projection of power production by source up to 2040. I tend to think it will improve and if Solar persists on the curve it has been on there is room for optimism.

[GLW]

..........   Wind, the bird Cuisinart of power production, does not show that much increase in projected power share. There is not a large projection of increased efficiency and lowered cost so I agree.

how soon we forget (our own posts and our own witticisms),...

Torching Birds With Killer Death Rays

We already have Cuisinarts for birds I suppose a death ray is the logic progression.
************************************************************

Taxpayer-Funded Solar Farm Reportedly Torching Birds With Killer Death Rays

"The intense heat created by the thousands of mirrors, which can reach nearly 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, appears to be incinerating birds that fly near the towers.

Over the past few months, the scorched carcasses of dozens of dead birds have littered the grounds around the Ivanpah plant, Brightsource, which is based in Oaklandm Calif., said.

Sources involved in the projected originally estimated that some birds would be killed, but they had not counted on so many.

Federal biologists noted that the birds appeared to have singed or burned feathers."

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/02/14/taxpayer-funded-solar-farm-reportedly-torching-birds-with-killer-death-rays/

[Marlin]

how soon we forget (our own posts and our own witticisms),...

Torching Birds With Killer Death Rays

The solar I was talking about was solar panels not solar farms. The big increase that the article talks about is roof top solar and I don't see a solar/steam power unit there. The "Solar Moore's Law" I mention refers to panels as well. I don't see a future for the solar farms eventually the public will no longer tolerate the environmental impact especially on raptors at the top of the food chain.

[GLW]

The solar I was talking about was solar panels not solar farms......

Okay, but I'm not a mind reader,...

the article:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-23/the-way-humans-get-electricity-is-about-to-change-forever

includes a downloadable report,....

if you download the report and read it the report points to APAC as being the largest growth sector for the "new energies",...

and APAC is the biggest growth and user segment for solar farms:

Largest solar plant in Australia approved in Queensland

The largest proposed solar farm in Australia, and possibly the world...

http://www.solidworksapac.com/?p=545

Here’s Why Apple Is Building Solar Farms in China

Apple just agreed to back two large solar farms in China. It’s the biggest deal of its kind for a U.S. company operating in China. For China, the deal is only a beginning....

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-21/here-s-why-apple-is-building-solar-farms-in-china

and the list of solar farms new construction projects in APAC goes on,...

....I don't see a future for the solar farms eventually the public will no longer tolerate the environmental impact especially on raptors at the top of the food chain.

the Chinese public (APAC) is sending tigers into extinction status for the purpose of mixing fertility and enhancement concoctions using dried tiger penis,...

the Chinese public (APAC) is sending various bear species into extinction status for the purpose of mixing longevity concoctions using bear gall bladders,...

the Chinese public (APAC) is fishing the worldwide shark population into oblivion to make soup out of less than 2 percent of each sharks biomass, the rest is dumped to the bottom of the ocean,...

I don't see your intolerant public happening vis a vis solar farms and raptors,...

[Marlin]

Okay, but I'm not a mind reader,...

From the article, seems pretty clear to me.

"3. The Revolution Will Be Decentralized
The biggest solar revolution will take place on rooftops. High electricity prices and cheap residential battery storage will make small-scale rooftop solar ever more attractive, driving a 17-fold increase in installations. By 2040, rooftop solar will be cheaper than electricity from the grid in every major economy, and almost 13 percent of electricity worldwide will be generated from small-scale solar systems.
$2.2 Trillion Goes to Rooftops by 2040 "

[GLW]

From the article, seems pretty clear to me.

"3. The Revolution Will Be Decentralized
The biggest solar revolution will take place on rooftops. High electricity prices and cheap residential battery storage will make small-scale rooftop solar ever more attractive, driving a 17-fold increase in installations. By 2040, rooftop solar will be cheaper than electricity from the grid in every major economy, and almost 13 percent of electricity worldwide will be generated from small-scale solar systems.
$2.2 Trillion Goes to Rooftops by 2040 "

did you think that maybe there is some spin that goes past the numbers in that Item 3.?

here's the number for decentralized solar in 2040 - 13%

here's the numbers today:

    Coal = 39%
    Natural gas = 27%
    Nuclear = 19%
    Hydropower = 6%
   Other renewables (includes solar, currently at 0.4%) = 13.9%
    Petroleum = 1%
    Other gases < 1%

I'm not seeing much more out of Bloomberg than "buy solar",...

which is nice, unless fusion comes to the fore and blows subsidized solar into the buggy whip category,...

I can't get hyped about solar because for the span of my adult life solar has been constantly hyped,...

in the 1980's my home had a solar recirculator,...

the installation costs were subsidized by tax break incentives (aka national debt liabilities), and the total return to net zero was never realized for the three years I was there,...

and the new buyers wanted it removed from the house and repairs made to the installation space prior to sale as it was not aesthetic,...

that was not subsidized,...

and it's always something new and better with solar,...

and the older technology versions never break even without subsidy,...

and so, buying solar is a lot like buyng a car,...

AISI anyways,...

Enjoy the Solar Day!!!!

GLW  

[Marlin]

and it's always something new and better with solar,...

Why yes, yes there is   cheaper solar cells, more efficient cells, incorporation into windows, solar roofing tiles, better storage technologies etc. etc. I think that is the basis for projections.

 

 

[Chimera]

I've been reading articles about "small scale" applications of solar and wind energy since the early 1960's - and it ain't happened yet.  There must be some sort of fundamental problem with these so-called energy sources.  All I've seen to date is that they seem to be a great way to make money from the federal government . . . and they make the tree-huggers feel good about themselves.

[Marlin]

I can reduce all that to not in our lifetime

You seem to be able to reduce any conversation on any subject to a myopic self-aggrandizing talking point.

[RDTroja]

I can reduce all that to not in our lifetime

You seem to be able to reduce any conversation on any subject to a myopic self-aggrandizing talking point.

Key word: Reduce.  To lessen or make smaller. To bring down to a lower rank, dignity, etc.

Yeah, that fits.

[GLW]

I can reduce all that to not in our lifetime

okay, but I did not endure 8+ years of nuns smacking me with wooden compasses to get my English right to just sit on it and not use it later,...

nope, I earned my English stripes and I intend to flaunt 'em,....

the words that is,....as far as grammar and structure et al,..."Sister Immaculata can kiss my grits!!!!",...

 

[SloGlo]

I've been reading articles about "small scale" applications of solar and wind energy since the early 1960's - and it ain't happened yet.  There must be some sort of fundamental problem with these so-called energy sources. 

their are all ways problems, and knot necessarily with the energy sources. twenty years ago, the problem with residential panels was efficiency; today that efficiency has increased to the point that storage is the current problem in the four front, panel efficiency has moved back in rank. engineering it doing it's thing, ala moore's law.
 thirty years ago, residential use in suburban environs fore wind turbine generation had few problems, the technology hasn't changed much since then. the problem eye encountered with it was bureaucratic, because insuring against liabilities would devour any projection of saving. this has naught changed. if aye had a stream on my home site I wood look at hydro, butt i don't sew shan't.

[Rerun]

Not in our lifetime is not a shot at you or anyone. It simply means not in our lifetime. An accurate assesment

[Marlin]

"3. The Revolution Will Be Decentralized
The biggest solar revolution will take place on rooftops. High electricity prices and cheap residential battery storage will make small-scale rooftop solar ever more attractive, driving a 17-fold increase in installations. By 2040, rooftop solar will be cheaper than electricity from the grid in every major economy, and almost 13 percent of electricity worldwide will be generated from small-scale solar systems.
$2.2 Trillion Goes to Rooftops by 2040 "

This is today with further cost reduction and building design who knows, I'm on the optimistic side again.

Five impressive integrated solar solutions for buildings

http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/features/list/five-impressive-integrated-solar-solutions-for-bui

[Marlin]

Solar accounts for 1% of global electricity, how long will the next 1% take?

http://www.pv-tech.org/editors_blog/solar_accounts_for_1_of_global_electricity_how_long_will_the_next_1_take

"Solar Power Europe’s Global Market Outlook for Solar power 2015-2019, which announced the 1% milestone, found that global solar capacity is now 178GW, which is 100 times more than it was 14 years ago.

GTM Research solar analyst Adam James told PV Tech that he expects global installed capacity to double by 2017. Thus, while it took 14 years to reach the 1% figure, solar will take just two years to reach close to 2%. However, James admitted that, in this case, GTM’s forecasts are more optimistic than most competitors."

"James said that when you aggregate all of the smaller developing markets together, they will go from accounting for 1% of solar today to 17% over the next five years, marking a significant shift in the spread of the market."

[SloGlo]

when yew put that 17% with the giga-batteries in production and research, won can sea a shift coming.

[Marlin]

Cheapest Solar Ever: Austin Energy Gets 1.2 Gigawatts of Solar Bids for Less Than 4 Cents

http://www.theenergycollective.com/stephenlacey/2245543/cheapest-solar-ever-austin-energy-gets-12-gigawatts-solar-bids-less-4-cents

 

[GLW]

Cheapest Solar Ever: Austin Energy Gets 1.2 Gigawatts of Solar Bids for Less Than 4 Cents

http://www.theenergycollective.com/stephenlacey/2245543/cheapest-solar-ever-austin-energy-gets-12-gigawatts-solar-bids-less-4-cents

 

from the "not a panacea" perspective:

(something along the lines of climate change, the climate will always change, and electricity sources will always change,.........forever is a misappropriated absolute)

Rest in Peace: The Fallen Solar Companies of 2014

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Honoring-the-fallen-solar-soldiers

.....

2014
Bankrupt, closed

    Areva's solar business (CSP) closed -- Suffering through a Fukushima-inspired slowdown in reactor sales, Areva exited its concentrated solar power business. Areva's solar unit consisted of the remains of the acquired startup Ausra.
    HelioVolt (CIGS thin-film PV) closed -- HelioVolt was founded in 2001 and aimed to fabricate CIGS solar panels. Thirteen years and more than $200 million in VC later, HelioVolt had shipped no commercial product and finally admitted defeat. A thin-film expert offered this take: "Founded on the idea of a transfer process (FAST) which never worked, HelioVolt went to a two-step process and finally adapted co-evaporation. However, the co-evaporation process the firm decided to copy was that of Solibro -- using point sources and an upward deposition orientation -- something with severe limitations in manufacturing."
    LDK (vertically integrated module builder) filed for bankruptcy
    Masdar PV (a-Si) closed its SunFab-based amorphous silicon PV factory in Germany.
    SolarMax (PV inverters) -- Swiss inverter maker SolarMax's parent firm, Sputnik Engineering, filed for insolvency.
    Sopogy (small-scale CSP) closed -- Sopogy promised smaller-size CSP for the distribution grid or even the rooftop. The startup collected more than $35 million in VC and strategic financing from investors including Southern California Gas Company, 3M, Mitsui & Co., Kolohala Ventures, Enerdigm Ventures, Black River Ventures, Pierre Omidyar and TWC.
    TEL (a-Si) withdrew from its a-Si solar business -- In 2012, the a-Si equipment division of Oerlikon was divested to Tokyo Electron (TEL) in a $275 million deal. In 2014, TEL withdrew from the PV panel production equipment business. Low efficiencies (below 11 percent), high costs, and cheap Chinese panels doomed a-Si and Oerlikon's effort.
    Xunlight (a-Si) went bankrupt -- Xunlight was adept at winning tax credits and government grants but never commercialized its roll-to-roll a-Si BIPV technology.

Acquisition, sale

    Emcore's CPV business -- Suncore acquired the remaining interest in Emcore's CPV business.
    RSI (CdTe PV panels) sold to Chinese strategic -- RSI, a VC-funded cadmium telluride thin-film solar module startup formerly known as Reel Solar, was acquired by an undisclosed "Chinese strategic," according to the company's CEO. RSI employs an electroplating process that works at a lower temperature than First Solar's and allows the use of larger glass sizes with an electrodeposition technology "inherited from Monosolar." According to the CEO's viewpoint, larger glass sizes drive down installed costs.
    Solar Junction (CPV semiconductors) sold to Saudi strategic -- Solar Junction raised more than $30 million from VC investors ATV, DFJ and NEA, but was sold to Saudi entity KACST and one of its investment arms, TAQNIA, according to sources close to the company. Solar Junction had developed record-setting triple-junction solar cells.
    SAG Solarstrom, a bankrupt PV project developer, was sold to Shunfeng Photovoltaic, the owner of PV panel builder Suntech, in an $85 million deal. Germany's SAG Solarstrom ranked among the top ten of PV O&M providers in the world in 2013.    

Watch list

    Concentrated photovoltaic companies that are not SunPower, Soitec or Suncore
    Concentrated solar power companies that are focused solely on CSP for utility-scale electricity

 2009 to 2010
Bankrupt, closed, acquired

    Advent Solar (emitter wrap-through Si) acquired by Applied Materials
    Applied Solar (solar roofing) acquired by Quercus Trust
    OptiSolar (a-Si on a grand scale) -- OptiSolar’s utility projects were acquired by First Solar; its manufacturing line was sold to NovaSolar.
    Ready Solar (PV installation) acquired by SunEdison
    Solasta (nano-coaxial solar) closed
    SV Solar (low-concentration PV) closed
    Senergen (depositing silane onto free-form metallurgical-grade Si substrates) closed
    Signet Solar (a-Si) bankrupt
    Sunfilm (a-Si) bankrupt
    Wakonda (GaAs) acquired by Siva


2011
Bankrupt, closed

    EPV Solar (a-Si) bankrupt
    Evergreen (drawn Si) bankrupt
    Solyndra (CIGS) bankrupt
    SpectraWatt (c-Si) bankrupt
    Stirling Energy Systems (dish engine) bankrupt

Acquisition, sale

    Ascent Solar (CIGS) acquired by TFG Radiant
    Calyxo (CdTe) acquired by Solar Fields from Q-Cells
    HelioVolt (CIGS) acquired by Korea's SK Innovation
    National Semiconductor Solar Magic (panel optimizers) exited systems business
    NetCrystal (silicon on flexible substrate) acquired by Solar Semiconductor
    Soliant (CPV) acquired by Emcore


2012
Bankrupt, closed

    Abound Solar (CdTe) bankrupt
    AQT (CIGS) closed
    Ampulse (thin silicon) closed
    Arise Technology (PV modules) bankrupt
    Azuray (microinverters) closed
    BP (c-Si panels) exits solar business
    Centrotherm (PV manufacturing equipment) bankrupt and restructured
    CSG (c-Si on glass) closed by Suntech
    Day4 Energy (cell interconnects) delisted from TSX exchange
    ECD (a-Si) bankrupt
    Energy Innovations (CPV) bankrupt
    Flexcell (a-Si roll-roll BIPV) closed
    Gadir Solar (a-Si PV) Spain-based customer of Oerlikon Solar closed
    GlobalWatt (solar) closed
    GreenVolts (CPV) closed
    G24i (DSCs) bankrupt in 2012, re-emerged as G24i Power with new investors
    Hoku (polysilicon) shut down its Idaho polysilicon production facility
    Inventux (a-Si) bankrupt
    Konarka (OSCs) bankrupt
    Odersun (CIGS) bankrupt
    Pramac (a-Si panels built with equipment from Oerlikon) insolvent
    Pairan (Germany inverters) insolvent
    Ralos (developer) bankrupt
    REC Wafer (c-Si) bankrupt
    Satcon (BoS) bankrupt
    Schott (c-Si) exits c-Si business
    Schuco (a-Si) shutting down its a-Si business
    Sencera (a-Si) closed
    Siliken (c-Si modules) closed
    Skyline Solar (LCPV) closed
    Siemens (CSP, inverters, BOS) divestment from solar
    Solar Millennium (developer) insolvent
    Solarhybrid (developer) insolvent
    Sovello (Q-Cells, Evergreen, REC JV) bankrupt
    SolarDay (c-Si modules) insolvent
    Solar Power Industries (PV modules) bankrupt
    Soltecture (CIGS BIPV) bankrupt
    Sun Concept (developer) bankrupt

Acquisition, fire sale, restructuring

    Oelmaier (Germany inverters) insolvent, bought by agricultural supplier Lehner Agrar
    Q-Cells (c-Si) insolvent, acquired by South Korea's Hanwha
    Sharp (a-Si) backing away from a-Si, retiring 160 of its 320 megawatts in Japan
    Solibro (CIGS) Q-Cells unit acquired by China's Hanergy
    Solon (c-Si) acquired by UAE's Microsol  
    Scheuten Solar (BIPV) bankrupt, then acquired by Aikosolar
    Sunways (c-Si, inverters) bought by LDK, restructuring to focus on BIPV and storage


2013
Bankrupt, closed

    Array Converter (Module-level power electronics) bankrupt, IP to VC investor
    Avancis (CIGS) discontinuing production
    Bosch (c-Si PV module) exits module business
    Concentrator Optics (CPV) bankrupt
    Cyrium (CPV semiconductors) bankrupt
    Direct Grid (microinverters) closed
    GreenRay (microinverters) closed
    Helios Solar (c-Si modules) bankrupt
    Hoku Solar (silicon) bankrupt
    Honda Soltec (CIGS thin-film modules) closing
    Infinia (Stirling engine CSP) bankrupt
    Nanosolar (CIGS) closed
    Pythagoras Solar (BIPV) closed
    Solarion (CIGS)  went bankrupt but restructured and in limited production
    SolFocus (CPV) bankrupt
    Sunsil (module level electronics) closed
    Suntech Wuxi (c-Si) bankrupt
    Tioga (project developer) closed
    Willard & Kelsey (CdTe panels) bankrupt
    ZenithSolar (CHP) bankrupt

Acquired

    Agile Energy (project developer) acquired by RES Americas
    Bosch (c-Si PV module) acquired by SolarWorld
    Diehl (Germany inverters) inverter division sold to PE firm mutares AG
    Conergy (c-Si module) -- Astronergy, a part of China's Chint Group, acquired Conergy's PV module manufacturing assets. Kawa Capital Management purchased the solar projects business.
    GE-Primestar (CdTe technology acquired from PrimeStar)  acquired by First Solar
    Global Solar Energy (CIGS) acquired by Hanergy
    Infinia (Stirling engine CSP) assets acquired by Israel's Qnergy
    MiaSolé (CIGS) acquired by China's Hanergy  
    NuvoSun (CIGS) acquired by Dow
    Suntech Wuxi (c-Si) acquired by Shunfeng Photovoltaic International for $492 million
    Twin Creeks (kerfless Si) IP and other assets acquired by GT Advanced Technology
    Wuerth Solar (installer) business turned over to BayWa
    Wuerth Solar (CIGS line) taken over by Manz
    ZenithSolar (CHP) acquired by Suncore

[Marlin]

from the "not a panacea" perspective:

(something along the lines of climate change, the climate will always change, and electricity sources will always change,.........forever is a misappropriated absolute)

Who claimed a cure all The original article showed solar as part of an ever changing mix of power production. Failure of many of the companies are probably linked to the feeding frenzy of government money Solyndra a prime example. This article cites a success story so I wonder about the applicability of your post. Government dabling in the market is a whole different subject for PolySci. My subsequent posts have simply shown the viablity of the "Moore Law" as it applys to future use of PV solar power.

Just sayin'  

[HydroDave63]

This article cites a success story so I wonder about the applicability of your post.

The article cites a power purchase agreement. Just a contract, not 1.5 square miles of PV panels. Much of the article's few numbers are based on projections, not delivered, installed, producing and years of failure-free service. Many of the past projects cited by GLW were also breakthrough success stories in their day....until either the factories failed to produce a single PV cell, or the concentrator thingie wasn't nearly as efficient as promised (so the supplier doesn't want to provide more collectors out of their pocket, and the customer doesn't have more land to install a larger number of less-efficient collectors), the third-party loans fails to materialize, 'the dog ate my homework', etc.

Great ideas fail for all sorts of reasons. Otherwise, we would be reading about Enron buying all of these solar projects, while typing away on our virus-free Kaypro computers running CP/M.

[Marlin]

The article cites a power purchase agreement. Just a contract, not 1.5 square miles of PV panels. Much of the article's few numbers are based on projections, not delivered, installed, producing and years of failure-free service. Many of the past projects cited by GLW were also breakthrough success stories in their day....until either the factories failed to produce a single PV cell, or the concentrator thingie wasn't nearly as efficient as promised (so the supplier doesn't want to provide more collectors out of their pocket, and the customer doesn't have more land to install a larger number of less-efficient collectors), the third-party loans fails to materialize, 'the dog ate my homework', etc.

Great ideas fail for all sorts of reasons. Otherwise, we would be reading about Enron buying all of these solar projects, while typing away on our virus-free Kaypro computers running CP/M.

From the article apparently solar is too successful as they regret not waiting for cheaper bids I would call solar a success in this case and substantiation that Moore's Law is also applicable to solar PVs

"These bids are without question the cheapest bids ever seen in a utility solar solicitation," said Cory Honeyman, a senior analyst with GTM Research.

This price trend is a mixed blessing for developers and the utility. It shows that Austin Energy will be able to meet its 600-megawatt target with competitive PV resources. But Shalabi also said the company has "a little bit of buyer's remorse" when bids came down 20 percent after signing the 150-megawatt contract with Recurrent.

Yes, solar prices are coming down so quickly that a 5-cent contract can induce buyer's remorse.

This could cause delays for developers if Austin Energy cuts its procurement in 2015 in the hopes that solar prices keep dropping.

The future is bright I gotta wear shades.