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Question:

Cost of a solar panel?

I don't want to spend a fortune, maybe talking like over $200 but I would like to power my computer, the monitor, my tv, and a small fridge.I looked up the price on some but it does not make any sense to me because it says that it has reached the price of less than $ per watt but if I look up a 20 watt solar panel it is $560 dollars. Why would it not be $20 because they said $ a watt.Where would be the best place to buy the cheapest solar panels?

Answer:

Today the lowest cost is more like $3 a watt. And you need to shop well to get it that cheap. The solar industry hopes to drive the cost down to $ a watt with the new thin film technology, but production volumes are still too low with that new technology for the market prices to come down. Their goal is to hit $ a watt within 5 years.
The cost of solar panel depends on per Watt..typically per watt cost is around USD 4-5, so if you take 75W solar panel it will cost around USD 300-375. I hope this helps
The first thing you need to do is look at the power needs of those things. Add up the power (Watts) to run all of those things at the same time. Then you're also in trouble if you plan to run those things when it's not peak sunlight, so you'll need some battery setup. And some appropriate fuses and diodes and a controller of some kind to protect your panels and the things you are powering. It would take a bit of physics and electrical knowledge to do this and do it safely. I built a car that ran off of solar energy in a college project last school year. We had a bank of Kyocera 50 Watt panels that cost 250 each. So, you won't be able to do this for under 200, sorry. If you wanted to spend more I could figure out everything you needed for you, but money will be a problem. And I don't know if it will really be cost effective.
That's more like a bare laminate, and will not be durable, but will get you a legitimate $/watt. Also understand that if a manufacturer has a cost of $/watt, that means the panel will cost more by the time you buy it. It has to be shipped, stocked somewhere, and the retailer has to make a profit. $560 is high for a 20-watt panel today. Whoever is selling at that price will not sell many, or will sell only to those who aren't shopping around.
You are probably better off buying solar cells and making your own solar panel. That is what I plan to do. Figure in the cost of batteries, an inverter, and maybe a charge controller. You will need to test the solar panels to make sure you have enough power to power up everything you have. If not, make additional solar panels, and connect them together. Nevertheless, I think it still might cost way over $200, but I think it is the cheapest way to go.

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