New tech bolsters solar advancements

New materials and fresh reflection in solar technology are helping fuel the increases in solar efficiency. Creative ingenuity in solar technology is forcing the increased use of solar panels all over the world. The energy-generating potential of solar panels is owing to what they’re made of. But limitations exist also. Silicon panels are declining in price so much that in some spots they can produce electricity that costs almost the same as power from fossil fuels like coal and natural gas. However, silicon solar panels are also bulky and brittle, so they can’t be used in every location. New technologies utilize thinner, more pliable materials that hold great promise for solar applications.

Solar produces essential power for urban and rural locations

Many portions of the world do not enjoy the nearly uninterrupted nature of power generation that we experience in the United States.  In some of these areas, solar panels can produce electric light after dark and energy to pump drinking water, help power small household devices or village-based businesses. However, the fragility, weight, and transportation challenges of silicon solar panels suggest that silicon may not be the ideal material for building solar panels.

Inventors are working to produce flexible solar panels, which would be as efficient as a silicon panel, but would be thinner, lightweight, and pliable. This kind of device, which we call a “solar tarp,” could be spread out to the size of a whole room and generate electricity from the sun. Some creative characters are trying to make organic solar cells more resilient by making them ultra-thin. However, real durability requires a molecular structure that makes the solar panels stretchable and strong.

Silicon is a material in tremendous abundance on earth

Silicon comes from sand, which makes it extremely prevalent and inexpensive.  The way its atoms pack in a solid material makes it a good semiconductor. This means its conductivity can be turned on and off using electric fields or light. Because it’s inexpensive, silicon is the basis for the microchips and circuit boards in computers, mobile phones, and essentially all other electronics. The microchips send 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 especially 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 squandered.

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 solar panel prices are remaining steady, there's a huge movement toward installing solar panels. Investment experts tell us there are few investments that pay for themselves so quickly while at the same time eliminating your electric bill. Not only can you generate your own power free from the electric grid, but you can rest easy knowing you have done your part to alleviate global warming. The way to feel good about energy generation is by installing your own solar energy system! Mankind is in dire need of a renewable energy solution that will last more than a few decades. Solar power is fulfilling that promise and without it, the world would be in dire shape indeed. Solar power provides the ability for energy independence!

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

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