Solar starts 2011 in deep decline

NBF - Berkeley Lab Report Shows that the Installed Cost of Solar Photovoltaic Systems in the U.S. Began a Steep Decline in 2010

The decline in solar photovoltaic (PV) installed costs seen by customer-owners of such systems in 2010 follows a significant drop in the wholesale cost for PV modules in 2009.

As report co-author Galen Barbose explains, "Based on our data, average installed costs held steady at $7.50/W from 2008 to 2009, even though wholesale module prices dropped substantially over this period.

However, that drop in module prices appears to have made its way to customers in 2010." Modules typically represent about half the installed cost of a PV system.

The full report is here