Solar Power

I have been doing some research on solar panel and wind turbine systems. The pricing is crazy. For a 10Kw solar grid tie kit system is between $35,000 and $40,000. If you install batteries add $3,000-$5,000. 10Kw will only power a small to medium home without electric heat. Using my electric usage and info from my local electric company payback is 60 years for solar and 361 years for wind. This is unexceptionable. The manufactures of the solar and wind are gouging the consumers. They are using the excuse of supply and demand for the high cost. When demand goes up so will mass production and the price will go down. This is true, but they are making a huge profit on what they are making now. Some items are in the 3000% markup range. Are the power companies keeping the price up so their profits don’t suffer? My local electric supplier has an "ENERGY PARK" that you can go see solar and wind power in action and check out real time data online. They have a 4Kw solar array installed and claim it cost $30,378 installed and a 2.5Kw wind turbine that cost about $20,000 installed. I think they are giving false numbers to consumers so you won’t go green. I was able to find a 3.5Kw kit online for $9,000. This doesn’t include any type of mounting materials. You can add $800-$1,200 for these materials. An installer will will charge you $2,000-$4,000 to install it. For the sake of argument lets say this will cost you $15,000 to install but still way out of line for you and me to install. That is a far cry from the $30,000 the power company claims. The power companies don’t want you to make your own electric. They are keeping the cost high so they will still make money off you. A 210w panel sells for around $600. They probably manufacture it for under $50. The cost needs to be $100-$150 to the consumer to make it affordable to the average home owner. 50 210w panels make a 10Kw system. That would be $5,000 not $40,000. The manufactures are raping us and the power companies are helping them to keep prices high. When will we get the technology at a proper cost? Let me know what you think.
In response to the first 5 answers, Yes, if demand increases so will mass production and thus supply will increase and this will drive the price down. I looked into panels from China. From what I was able to find panels sell for $0.17-$0.45 per watt. In the U.S. they sell for $3.00-$5.00 per watt. Manufactures in the U.S. have lobbied for a higher tariff on solar products that makes them impractical to import on mass. These companies want to keep the price high so their profits stay high, and the power companies do not want you to produce all your own power. That would put them out of business.
In response to Steve R, You need to do more research before you post another retarded comment like that. Air "DOES" have mass (just not very dense). When air is in motion it is called "WIND". This motion creates energy. Have you ever heard of a "tornado"? Get your facts together next time.

Cut the incentives, import tarriffs, and special grind tie rates. That will make prices truly competitive for those that want to participate in home green energy, and not put any cost on those that do not want to.

The important thing is the incentives, which artificially raise the prices of equipment.

Where is all the money going to come from? Wind power requires consistant wind. Natural gas powered vehicles require conversion kits. Solar panels costs are for the rich.

For the last time, nobody is banking on wind to meet ALL our energy needs. It’s a part of the solution, not the solution.

I believe the hope is that cars will be manufactured to take natural gas from the start. This will be much more economical than converting exisiting gas cars.

Photovoltaic solar panels are expensive currently, but concentrating solar thermal plants are not. A mix of solar thermal and wind will save us tons of fossil fueled energy.

I just recently bought a medium sized John boat that I’m interested in pimping out. My idea is to possibly install a solar powered kit on the front-top side of the boat. Directly underneath this part of the boat is a small storage area where I usually keep my anchor. I would like to run a wire down into the compartment where there will be 2 waterproof speakers, which I will install by cutting two holes in this compartment so they can hang out so everyone can hear.
I would like to know how I can fulfill this idea of mine, if even possible. My knowledge about solar power is very small. What is all the equipment that I will need to fulfill this fantasy.

Thank you.

here are basics on solar charging on a boat

http://www.boatus.com/boattech/SolarPanels.htm

your idea is doable. my suggestion is to add boxes inside the storage area that will protect the backs of the speakers, that way you could still use the rest of the storage area for other items. the solar panel should be mounted so that it you can get into the storage area.

jon boat modification

http://myweb.ecomplanet.com/AUCB7089/mycustompage0028.htm

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://myweb.ecomplanet.com/BULL2958/mystorage/jb10.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.bassjons.com/mycustompage0025.htm&usg=__bT54wxtr1nDWQ1yz8-Zvl84M4Ww=&h=288&w=384&sz=16&hl=en&start=7&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=ZGeaVKqy2SCMoM:&tbnh=92&tbnw=123&prev=/images%3Fq%3Djon%2Bboat%2Bmodifications%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DX%26rlz%3D1T4GGLL_enUS344US344%26tbs%3Disch:1

hope this helps

http://www.goldmine-elec.com/

I am looking to put a solar powered ceiling fan in a summer cottage. Is it possible to just buy a specific fan that comes with a kit or do I need to hook it up to a panel? Any information would be helpful thanks!
Thanks to people for suggestions of where to buy fans that run on solar power, now what sort of panal would you need to get to run a fan like this?

yes they do

http://store.altenergystore.com/Lighting-Fans/DC-Ceiling-Fans/Ceiling-Fans-DC/12-Volt-Ceiling-Fan-12V-42-WhiteBrass/p2337/