Technology aids solar

Now that the latest climate reports support the implementation of renewable energy, solar power is poised for another huge explosion of popularity New materials and creative thinking are helping fuel the increases in solar efficiency. Ingenuity in solar technology is driving the increased use of solar panels all over the globe. The energy-generating potential of solar panels is due to what they’re constructed of. But limitations exist as well. Silicon panels are declining in price so much that in some locations they can produce electricity that costs almost the same as energy from fossil fuels like coal and natural gas. However, silicon solar panels are also bulky and somewhat brittle, so they can’t be used in every application. New technologies utilize thinner, more pliable materials that hold great promise for solar applications.

Solar produces power for urban and rural locations

Many parts of the world do not experience the relatively uninterrupted nature of power production that we experience in the United States. In some of these locations, solar panels can provide electric light after dark and energy to tap drinking water, help power small household devices or businesses. However, the fragility, weight, and transportation challenges of silicon solar panels suggest that silicon may not be the best material for constructing solar panels.

Inventors are laboring to develop flexible solar panels, which would be as efficient as a silicon panel, but would be thinner, lightweight, and flexible. This kind of device, which is called a “solar tarp,” could be spread out to the size of an entire room and generate electricity from the sun. Some creative individuals are trying to make organic solar cells more adaptable by making them ultra-thin. However, real durability requires a molecular structure that makes the solar panels stretchable and rugged.

Silicon is a substance in superabundance on earth

Silicon comes from sand, which makes it remarkably plentiful and inexpensive.  The way its atoms pack in a solid material makes it a solid semiconductor. This means its conductivity can be switched on and off using electric fields or light. Because it’s inexpensive, silicon is the foundation for the microchips and circuit boards in computers, mobile phones, and most other electronics. The microchips carry electrical signals from one component to another. Silicon is also the key to solar panels because it transforms the energy from light into positive and negative charges. But its chemical properties also mean it can’t be turned into pliable electronics. Silicon doesn’t process light very efficiently. Photons pass right through a silicon panel that’s too thin, so they have to be fairly thick — around 100 micrometers, about the thickness of a dollar bill — so that less of the light is lost.

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 solar power. Now that prices for solar energy have dropped so low, there are fewer reasons to ignore solar technology. Previously, the high cost of installing solar prevented many home and business owners from taking the solar plunge. Today, investing in solar is one of the best financial and environmental investments a person can make. How would you like to generate your own power while at the same time eliminating your electric bill?  Climate scientists are warning us that we need to stop burning fossil fuels now in order to avert the worst of climate change's effects. Investing in solar power is by far the best thing you can do for the earth and it also is now a financial benefit as well!

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

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