Why Does Solar Power Cost So Much?

 

The reason why solar power is so expensive is because of the raw material that is used in the manufacturing process. The raw material that is so expensive is silicon, like the stuff they make microchips from. Although silicon is a relatively common material, the process needed to make it pure enough for semiconductors requires a lot of energy.

The factories that can provide this energy can cost millions to operate, which means that there are not that many factories that refine silicon. The limited amount of factories create a limited supply of refined silicon, which increases the cost. Really it's simple economics, supply and demand, less supply plus more demand equals higher cost.

Solar Thermal Power: Stay Cool In The Summer Heat

can be produced any place the sun's rays can reach. This type of power will last longer than mankind lives.






Why Solar Thermal Energy Power Works
The best part of solar thermal energy is that it's free and, due to the improvement of technology, it's easier to change over into electricity a household can use. Photovoltaic cells are more effective; batteries are inexpensive and quite efficient at storing excess energy. That means solar thermal power systems can be set up with little difficulty.

How Micro Hydro Electric Power Works

True enough, each year expensive electricity bills bombard us. In order to save on electricity, most of us learned how to calculate the electric expenditure of each household appliance we use. Certainly, it is important that we know how to save on electricity. When we save household electric power and appliances, remember that we are not the only one who benefits, the environment as well. Did you know that every time we use our electric appliances and device, we create pollution? Yes, this is true. Even if pollution is not evident, it happens at several power plants across the world. As we use
electricity, coals and other fossil fuels are used up and burned.

The Nanotechnology Solar Cell Revolution

There is little debate that we need to wean ourselves off of fossil fuels, but the costs of renewable energy platforms such as solar make it difficult. Nanotechnology definitely offers the answer.

Solar power is considered one of the better renewable energy platforms. Enough sunlight hits our planet each day to meet our world wide energy needs for an entire year. On top of this, solar energy is a free power source, since nobody can corner the market on the sun. Solar power is also good for the environment since it produces none of the emissions that are of such concern today, specifically carbon dioxide greenhouse gases.

If solar is so great, why don't we see more practical applications? The problem lies in the applications. Specifically, we have no way to harness the power. Commercial solar cells are very inefficient. Current models on the market only convert about 8 to 13 percent of the sunlight hitting them.

Solar Power For the World's Poor

Solar power as a renewable energy is gaining more and more momentum every day. While here in the United States we normally think of either small self-contained residential and business installations or large utility supplied systems, there is a great potential for solar power electricity in developing countries.
It boggles the mind to realize that nearly 44 percent of the developing countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia have no access to electricity and only 1 percent of the world's solar panel production has been installed in such countries. This could change considerably within the next ten years.

The main issue for bringing solar power to these areas is of course how to pay for it. Around 2 billion people live in rural areas with no electricity. Even though most of these folks are poor, about 40 percent of them are spending $5 to $10 per month for lighting, mainly through kerosene burning lamps. Individual solar installations could be less expensive than building up the infrastructure for conventional power lines, especially in areas where buildings are far apart. While the cost of equipment is reasonable, it is the construction, installation and on going maintenance infrastructure that is usually the most challenging.

The Current Situation of Solar Energy in USA and Japan

  

Solar is a sustainable use of clean energy. In the search for sustainable development of human society, energy-saving building on the increasing use of solar energy is getting worldwide attention.

The status of solar energy use in United States is getting better!

In United States, total energy consumption in building comes up to 30% -90%. It is becoming a certain form of economic development constraints role. Therefore, American development of solar energy is growing very rapidly.

Solar Energy History-Present-Future

The genesis of solar energy history goes way back to the year 1838 to an observer by the name of Edmund Becquerel who at that time had published findings on the capability of materials to change light into raw energy. Although it was fascinating at that time no one took the opportunity to pursue it then.

As time would have it, the first patent design for a motor running on solar energy was done by a man called Augustin Mouchot in 1860. Fortunately for him the monarch of France funded his project which gave him the ability to create a device that would turn solar energy into the first steam engine. This however was the beginning of things to come, for August went on to illustrate that the sun's rays can be used to make ice by connecting the steam engine to a refrigerator device. A medal was awarded to him for his discovery.

Home Panel Solar Politics

After recently reading a New York Times article, we started thinking about home panel solar politics. You see, although solar power is gaining popularity as a renewable energy solution for home, it will never become mainstream without the backing from the federal government.
A poll by the Nuclear Power Industry revealed that the number one choice for generating power was not from nuclear, coal or natural gas, but from solar energy. However, at the time the poll was taken solar only provided for about 0.01 percent of America's power supply. Solar power is popular, but there's not enough investment!

In Washington, where the energy policies are signed, solar power lobbyists generally work with small budgets in the tens of thousands of dollars. Now when you compare it to the tens of millions of dollars that nuclear, coal, gas and oil lobbyists have available, you can only guess which energy policies gain approval by our beloved politicians.

Oil Companies Using Solar - The Ultimate Irony

GlassPoint is Using Solar Power to Draw Oil From the Earth

The energy debate is often categorized as the fossil fuel companies versus the clean energy companies. While there was certainly a major battle early on, the line has become much less clear these days. This is particularly true when you consider the fact that many oil companies now incorporate solar energy as part of the energy production for their facilities. Yes, it is the ultimate irony.

Oil is often hammered as being the ultimate evil these days. Well, it isn't. The room you are sitting in and the computer you are reading this on are all made possible by oil. In fact, our society never would have advanced to this level without it. Oil is not just in your car and gasoline. It is the base material of plastics and just about every critical material we use to make things. The problem, of course, is oil is a toxic pollutant. This is particularly true when burned, but it can cause messes in its natural form as we see in the BP gulf mess. This means a move to cleaner fuel sources just makes sense.

The Nanotechnology Solar Cell Revolution

     There is little debate that we need to wean ourselves off of fossil fuels, but the costs of renewable energy platforms such as solar make it difficult. Nanotechnology definitely offers the answer.
Solar power is considered one of the better renewable energy platforms. Enough sunlight hits our planet each day to meet our world wide energy needs for an entire year. On top of this, solar energy is a free power source, since nobody can corner the market on the sun. Solar power is also good for the environment since it produces none of the emissions that are of such concern today, specifically carbon dioxide greenhouse gases.
If solar is so great, why don't we see more practical applications? The problem lies in the applications. Specifically, we have no way to harness the power. Commercial solar cells are very inefficient. Current models on the market only convert about 8 to 13 percent of the sunlight hitting them. This inefficiency makes the cost of producing energy via solar platforms too costly. So, what can we do?

Companies That Manufacture Solar Panels: List Of Best 30

  
                

With the increase in the alertness and responsiveness towards the problem of global warming, more and more property owners are trying to do their best for the environment. One of the steps they are taking to help protect the environment is to employ solar-powered technology to fulfill their energy requirements. With the increase in the demand of these panels, the industry of photovoltaic cells has increased as well.

Germany had one of the major 15 companies providing solar-powered panels out of the total of 20 companies at one point of time. However in the race of solar-powered panel manufacturing, the USA as well as Europe have also come in, in an attempt to take a piece of the market. China, whose labor is cheaper than most of these countries, is now head to head with USA and Europe in manufacturing cheap and affordable solar panels for global purchasers.

For people running on a low budget, they can easily go for those companies who offer a do-it-yourself solar panel kit. But for people with cash to spend, they can do their homework, and buy the best deal as suited to their requirements. These manufacturers guarantee more than 25 years of life of the solar panels they produce.

Some of the solar panel producers are listed below:
*Advent
*Amonix

Renewable Energy Barriers and UK Renewable Obligations Certificate (ROC)

               


                           

When environmental issues, long term supply and future economical aspects are taken into account, the design and implementation of a renewable energy commercial international system should be created and adhered to in order to solve world's energy problems and possibly, reducing some of the impacts related to climate change.

That means in order to be able to provide a stable supply of sustainable energy, protecting the environment, curbing CO2 emission and, in the case of energy crops being used as a source of energy, an actual reduction of CO2 in the atmosphere, barriers to the implementation of the above should be removed permanently, first.
Fortunately, these barriers can be dealt with successfully if and when international, national and local agreements 'implemented' by all parties. According to Johansson, et. al., 1993, there are many opportunities exist to overcome these difficulties.