Soft costs dominate residential installations, but not utility or commercial installations, and it's only a matter of time until they fall away significantly (especially in the US, where the market doesn't seem to have shaken them out yet). Ultimately, you want solar to be significantly cheaper than the alternatives, and in order to do that, you have to drive down all aspects of the cost.

I agree, though, that it seems odd for all the existing interter manufacturers not to put the money in themselves, if there is an opportunity.