Solar power and breakthroughs in technology

Now that the newest climate reports are reporting even gloomier news than expected, there's an even greater impetus to introduce solar power. Solar power is poised for another huge explosion of demand. New materials and creative reasoning 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 restrictions exist as well. Silicon panels are failing in price so much that in some locations they can produce electricity that runs almost the same as energy from fossil fuels like coal and natural gas. However, silicon solar panels are also bulky and rather brittle, so they can’t be used in every application. New technologies utilize thinner, more pliable materials that hold great hope for solar applications.

Solar produces power for urban and rural situations

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

Inventors are working to develop flexible solar panels, which would be as efficient as a silicon panel, but would be thinner, lightweight, and pliable. 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 composition that makes the solar panels stretchable and sturdy.

Silicon is a substance in surplus on earth

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

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 fallen so low, there are fewer reasons to ignore solar technology. Previously, the high cost of installing solar stopped 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 reminding 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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