New Research And Development Can Help To Save On Solar Panel Systems

Current solar energy investigation from Arizona State University confirms that silicon-based, tandem photovoltaic module will become more frequently attractive to customers in the U.S. This silicon-based, tandem photovoltaic module converts sunlight into direct electricity with higher efficiency than present solar panel systems, and this can mean better service and potentially lower costs. 

Research has shows costs vs. enhanced the efficiency of new solar technology, in a paper titled "Techno-economic viability of silicon-based, tandem photovoltaic modules in the United States," appears in Nature Energy this week.

The Government Helps Solar

The Department of Energy's SunShot Initiative originated in a year after 2010, targeting the mark of making solar cost-competitive with traditional energy within the next 2 years. Surprisingly, the program achieved its goal of $0.06 per kilowatt-hour three years preceding the expectation.  A brand-new objective of $0.03 per kilowatt-hour by has been set for 2030. Enhancing the efficiency of photovoltaic modules is one route to decreasing the cost of the solar electricity to this new target. If reached, the goal is suspected to triple the quantity of solar installed in the U.S. in 2030 associated to the business-as-usual situation.

According to Holman, "the dominant existing technology -- silicon -- is more than 90 percent of the way to its theoretical efficiency limit," pressing a necessity to explore new technologies. More efficient technologies will undoubtedly be more costly, however, which advised Holman and co-authors to question, "does a doubling of module efficiency warrant a doubling of the cost?"

Bi-Panel Solar Systems

Bi-panel arrangement modules stack two, similar photovoltaic materials -- for example, a perovskite solar cell atop a silicon solar cell -- to soundest use the full color transmitted by the sun and beat the efficiency of either integral solar cell individually. The research was intended to define how much more valuable high-efficiency tandem photovoltaic modules can be and still struggle in the evolving solar industry.

Conclusions show that in the anticipated 2020 U.S. residential solar market, 32-percent-efficient anticipated tandem modules can fetch more than three times the cost of that of projected 22-percent-efficient silicon modules and furthermore generate electricity at the same price. This bonus, however, is a best-case situation that finds the energy yield, degeneration rate, service life and funding terms of tandem modules are comparable to those of silicon modules solely. The investigation also confirms that cost premium values will vary according to the region.

"Our previous study defines the technological landscape of tandems; this study paints the economic landscape for these future solar technologies that are only now being created in labs. It tells researchers how much money they're allowed to spend in realizing the efficiency enhancements expected from tandems," says Yu, one of the lead researchers.
These innovations can lead to big savings in the long-term for solar panel customers.  If that is your intention to buy, then please check out our site to find out more.  

If you want to join the solar revolution, go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. You can see how much a system will cost, and how much you can save over the next 20 years.

For more information about solar, don't forget to visit our solar blog section for guides and articles.