The promise of solar technology

There have been encouraging developments in solar technology due to man’s overproduction of fossil fuels. Would we have ever been motivated to adopt clean energy technologies if our air quality had not become so toxic? Likely not, and there are some who even deny that the planet is warming. Unfortunately, some of those deniers are in positions of power, so it is never safe to assume that climate science is universally accepted. Solar energy is the cleanest, most abundant renewable energy source available to us at this time. The U.S. has some of the world’s richest solar resources particularly in California and the desert Southwest. However, it's a myth that solar doesn't work on rainy days, which opens up solar to much of the eastern half of the United States. Technology now allows us to gather solar power in several ways, giving individual families and commercial enterprises flexible ways to utilize both the light and heat of the sun.

Some new solar technological innovations

Currently, there are three primary technologies by which solar energy is commonly harnessed: photovoltaics (PV), which directly convert light to electricity; concentrating solar power (CSP), which draws heat from the sun (thermal energy) to drive utility-scale, electric turbines; and heating and cooling systems, which collect thermal energy to provide hot water and air cooling. Solar energy can be deployed through distributed generation, whereby the equipment may be located on rooftops or ground-mounted systems close to where the energy is used. Some technologies can be expanded into utility-scale applications to generate energy as a central power plant.

Photovoltaic technology

Photovoltaic (PV) technologies directly convert "juice" from sunlight into electricity. When sunlight strikes the PV module, made of a semiconductor material, electrons are stripped from their atomic bonds. The flow of electrons generates an electric current. PV modules contain no moving parts and are expected to last thirty years or more with virtually no maintenance. PV electricity output peaks around midday when the sun is at its highest point in the sky and can offset the most expensive electricity generated when demand is highest. Homeowners can install a few dozen PV panels to reduce or eliminate their monthly electricity bills, and utilities can build large “farms” of solar panels to produce pollution-free electricity to their customers.

Concentrating solar power

Concentrating solar power (CSP) plants use mirrors to concentrate the sun’s thermal energy to drive a conventional steam turbine which makes electricity. The thermal energy concentrated in a CSP plant can be stored to produce electricity when it is needed, day or night. Today, over 1,400 MW of CSP plants operate in the U.S., and another 340 MW of CSP projects will be placed in service within the next year. The two commercialized CSP technologies are Power Towers and Parabolic Troughs. Other CSP technologies include Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector (CLFR) and Dish Engine.

Solar heating and cooling

Solar heating and cooling technologies collect thermal energy from the sun and use this heat to provide hot water and heating and cooling for residential, commercial and industrial customers. There are several types of collectors: flat plate, evacuated tube, Integral Collector Storage (ICS), thermosiphon and concentrating. These systems typically provide a return on investment in 3-6 years.

Solar power is here to stay, and the sooner you explore how much you can save, the sooner you can enjoy the benefits of residential or commerical solar power. Don't wait for better technology or lower prices because you could be generating your own power today!

Please visit our solar blog to find out more about the benefits of going solar.

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