Posts Tagged ‘residential solar energy’

Solar Energy – New Discoveries

The day may not be far off when the use of solar energy becomes a norm. There is now a deep conviction among experts that given a few years time, solar power will be in high demand that the cost will go down, inexpensive enough to undercut the prices of oil-generated electricity.

Previous predictions that it will still happen in a decade may no longer be true. The anger generated by the recent prices in oil and its vulnerability to market forces and other events may have already been enough to polarized people, governments and scientific communities into seriously considering a reliable alternative energy source.

You can not get a source more reliable than the sun. Even today homes that uses its power does not only benefit from the silent, energy generating, inexhaustible power of the sun, it also spikes up the prices of their homes. Those that have solar powered homes are even reimbursed for the surplus power that they supply to the power grid.

Presently, heliostats, photovoltaic cells and plate collectors are being used to collect the solar energy by focusing these panels towards the sun or constructing and installing the panel’s on spots where the sun shines most. Development in technology as we all know often has a snowball effect. It never stops rediscovering and reinventing that the speed of development could often be surprisingly fast.

Flexible Solar Energy

Today, a polymer foil, thin as a sheet of paper and lighter by 200 times when compared to the regular glass collecting plates, are being developed. Chances are, these new inventions and discoveries could very well have a great potential for mass production. Previously, the glass-based materials used for heat collection need expensive substrates and require additional support for mounting due to its weight. The polymer foil, being very light could now be attached even to the walls of a structure.

So confident are scientists in the development of this technology that while the polymer foil is being developed, a plastic solar cell, based on nano technology is gaining breakthroughs. This plastic material can collect the power of the sun even on a cloudy day through harnessing the infrared rays is believed to be five times more efficient than the current technology.

While plastic materials for harnessing the power of the sun are not new, it is only recently that this plastic composite could harvest the infrared portion. Previously, only the visible rays are generated, the infrared part, which is half of the power of the sun, is invisible.

Currently, the best plastic solar cells could only harness 6% of the suns energy, with further study and development, this new plastic solar cells are expected to harness 30% of the suns solar power.

Scientists and researchers alike agree that ultimately, solar farms will be harnessing all our energy requirements and costs of power will drop. Today the price of solar powered energy is about 3 to 4 times per kilowatt hour compared with conventional electricity. That could change dramatically through the development of the existing technology and recent discoveries.

The roller pressed flexible plastic materials and the polymer foil are only two of the best hopes in arriving at a cleaner, greener and safer environment that could ultimately free the planet from its dependency on the depleting supply of oil.

More Solar Energy Resources

http://greener-living-online.com
Eco Tips Recycling Advice
Affordable Solar Power
Solar Energy for Homes
Making Solar Energy – Articles
Solar Energy Articles

Did you know that the average American household uses around 10,000 kWh of electricity per year? This amount would be lessened if people would invest in more energy efficient windows and appliances, and replace their insulation. These cost saving improvements alone would save hundreds of dollars a year. If you’d like to do something a little less expensive, try changing your incandescent light bulbs to fluorescent ones. You can also save money by turning lights off when you leave a room and unplugging those things that you don’t use all the time. However, solar power panel is the only way for homeowners to completely eliminate their electricity costs. The initial not-so-inexpensive costs of having the system installed will pay off once you can power your own house.

What Size System does Your House Need?

Homeowners can choose from several different types of residential solar power systems. Systems range from 1,000-25,000 watt systems which will service 50 to 1600 square feet, respectively. Over 25 years, a 10,000 watt system will save a homeowner nearly $50,000 while using 10,000 kWh a year. Because of the different sizes of homes and the amount of power each household uses, homeowners’ savings from using a residential solar power system may vary. Many people choose to supplement rather than replace their reliance on the power grid with residential solar power as solar power systems powerful enough to supply enough electricity for the average home are still a little expensive. Seventy-five thousand dollars is a bit much for the average homeowner to get off the grid, even though those savings will help the system pay for itself in a decade or so.

Tax credits and Government incentives are available for those homeowners looking to upgrade their home that can be used to lower the initial set-up fees. For example, if your $75,000 solar power system is eligible for a tax credit of $35,000, that means you will only have to pay $40,000 out of pocket. Tax credits greatly decrease the cost of residential solar power, spurring the market with monetary incentives.

More Solar Energy Advantages:

As our cars make the transition from gasoline engines to electric motors, our power grid will be taxed even further. By beginning to upgrade our power grid with smart technologies and making our homes energy independent with residential solar power, we can ensure the safety of our energy grid for years to come, all while saving ourselves money and protecting the environment.