The Oil Drum: Australia/New Zealand

Thin film solar company Nanosolar has now shipped its first solar panels, leading to speculation that the (direct) cost of solar power is now cheaper than coal (and falling).

The company also began an auction for the second panel produced, however this was cancelled by eBay because Nanosolar decided to donate the purchase price to charity. The third panel has been donated to the Tech Museum in San Jose, California.

While it is still too early to tell whether or not Nanosolar can meet their goal of selling solar cells at $1 per watt, the fact that the company has constructed a manufacturing plant and begun shipping the product to a paying customer (in Germany) is a good sign.