When you look back at the technology and just how certain items have grown over the last few years you will be amazed. Take the humble Mobile phone for example. When they were first released they were expensive and only available to the rich and famous.

As the demand grew for these miracle phones, the cost became more affordable as more and more companies began producing them and completion grew. Try and find an individual who does not own a mobile phone today.

The same goes for solar. Back in 1998 in the USA, there were only 34 recorded Photovoltaic systems installed on roof tops producing in the region of 200kW. This is equivalent to about 20% of the power generated by a large department stores solar power system today.

By 2012, there has been an increase of around 200 000 photovoltaic power installations in the same country, producing in the region of 7000 megawatts. This in a report that was released by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory who monitors solar power prices in the US. The review is based on the amount paid for 208,000 solar installations.

Back in 1998 an average US resident would be paying around $12.00 a watt for a solar power system. 1n 2012 the average domestic solar installation cost was about $1.40 a watt.

The same trend has been seen in Australia. In 2008-9 the cost of a standard 5kW system was in the region of $22000.00 after government incentives. Today the same size system is $7000.00 to 8000.00.

The cost of solar worldwide will probably keep going down as technology advances and production increases and installation costs becomes cheaper as the industry becomes less regulated.