The Market for Lemon Solar Panels
George Akerlof won the Nobel Price for his work on the market for lemons and the role that asymmetric information and adverse selection plays in mucking up markets. His favorite example is the used car market. The seller knows more than the buyer about the vehicle’s true quality. Used vehicle owners are more likely to sell if their vehicle is low quality so this means that the average quality of the select set of vehicles that owners want to sell is lower than the average quality of all vehicles of the same age. The potential buyers know this and lower their bids. As they lower their bids, the sellers sell even lower quality vehicles and the market unravels. The good news is that capitalism figures out how to solve this problem as CarFax is a prime example of a company that levels the “information playing field”.
Today the NY Times reports about Lemon solar panels and claims that China is producing many of them. Here is a quote;
“No one is sure how pervasive the problem is. There are no industrywide figures about defective solar panels. And when defects are discovered, confidentiality agreements often keep the manufacturer’s identity secret, making accountability in the industry all the more difficult.”
As an ardent free market environmentalist, I would like to see some computer codes printed on each solar panel so that accountability is enforced by the market as product differentiation takes place in this industry. One indicator of a product’s quality is whether it breaks down after two years or lives on. Those companies that sell shoddy products need to be held accountable or the same Lemons problem for used cars could arise in this case.
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Matthew E. Kahn is a Professor at the UCLA Institute of the Environment, the Department of Economics, and the Department of Public Policy. He is a research associate at t…
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Even when working perfectly, the most advanced solar photovoltaic panel does not produce enough electricity to pay for itself, which is why solar energy could not exist without government subsidies. Home Depot and Lowe’s do not sell solar panels because they are a waste of money with very low demand.
Even when working perfectly, the most advanced solar photovoltaic panel does not produce enough electricity to pay for itself, which is why solar energy could not exist without government subsidies. Home Depot and Lowe’s do not sell solar panels because they are a waste of money with very low demand.
bqrq, you are, as usual, wrong…
http://www.homedepot.com/Electrical-Alternative-Energy-Solutions-Solar-Power-Solar-Panels/h_d1/N-5yc1vZbm31/h_d2/Navigation?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053&searchNav=true
bqrq, you are, as usual, wrong…
http://www.homedepot.com/Electrical-Alternative-Energy-Solutions-Solar-Power-Solar-Panels/h_d1/N-5yc1vZbm31/h_d2/Navigation?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053&searchNav=true
Eric,
While it is theoretically possible that a good solar panel might pay for itself in 15-20 years, the reality is that the equipment breaks down, loses efficiency and does not last long enough to pay for itself. This is why Home Depot and Lowe’s refuse to sell solar panels. Solar panels are a hobby and not a solution.
Eric,
While it is theoretically possible that a good solar panel might pay for itself in 15-20 years, the reality is that the equipment breaks down, loses efficiency and does not last long enough to pay for itself. This is why Home Depot and Lowe’s refuse to sell solar panels. Solar panels are a hobby and not a solution.
Ummm.. bqrq. Did you look at the link? Home Depot *does* sell solar panels. Or is it just that you refuse to listen to any evidence that might be contrary to your position?
Ummm.. bqrq. Did you look at the link? Home Depot *does* sell solar panels. Or is it just that you refuse to listen to any evidence that might be contrary to your position?
Dear Eric,
Okay, I confess that I did not look at your link because I used to work with solar panels 25 years ago and I know that there has not been any major breakthroughs in the technology over the last 25 years. Let me correct myself by saying that most Home Depot and Lowe’s stores do not sell solar panels. Go ahead, buy a solar panel, set an example for others, make yourself feel better. Solar panels should be funded by private money, not public money. Have a good day.
Dear Eric,
Okay, I confess that I did not look at your link because I used to work with solar panels 25 years ago and I know that there has not been any major breakthroughs in the technology over the last 25 years. Let me correct myself by saying that most Home Depot and Lowe’s stores do not sell solar panels. Go ahead, buy a solar panel, set an example for others, make yourself feel better. Solar panels should be funded by private money, not public money. Have a good day.