What’s the latest in solar technology?

Scientists and inventors are hard at work trying to develop more efficient solar generating materials. When we think of solar panels, most people think of roofs or giant arrays of glimmering panels in the desert. However, advances in photovoltaic (PV) technologies over the last ten years have made possible many more smaller-scale applications for everyday living. Improvements in design and configuration, energy storage, efficiency, and battery size have created openings for solar energy in a variety of situations. Following are examples of innovative, low-cost ways solar energy is being used to improve our daily lives.

Street lights

More cities across the world are powering street lights with solar. The sun charges the batteries during the day, which then powers light-emitting diodes (LEDs) at night to light the streets. San Diego is incorporating smart sensors into streetlights that can direct drivers to open parking spaces and help first responders during emergency situations. The combination of internet-linked sensors with solar-powered street lights saves both time and money.

Vaccine Refrigerators

In many developing countries, 24-hour electricity isn’t guaranteed, and in many cases, there is no electrical grid. “Private companies have been manufacturing solar-powered vaccine refrigerators so healthcare workers in remote areas can administer critical medication to those who need it,” states Charlie Gay, director of the Solar Energy Technologies Office for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). “This technology solution has been saving lives for more than four decades.”

Ovens

Solar ovens—also called solar cookers—utilize the sun’s energy to cook food. Solar cookers can be parabolic or square lined with a reflective material that focuses the rays into the box, where it heats food evenly. The lid on top is usually made out of glass to better focus the sun’s rays. These are ideal for off-grid living and often used in developing countries, which reduces air pollution that results from burning fossil fuels.

Cell-Phone Charger

USB cell phone chargers can charge a phone to nearly full after only a few hours exposure to UV sunlight. These portable solar panels are about the size of a tablet and can also power GPS trackers, tablets, or even laptops. They can be hooked on backpacks to collect solar power as you walk, making them ideal for outdoor excursions. 

Paint

Instead of constructing typical solar cells of silicon, “polymers dissolved in a solvent create a ‘paint’ or coating that can be applied to any surface – from homes to offices to cars,” writes technology writer Stephanie Hicks. “It’s inexpensive and versatile. Unlike large photovoltaic solar panels, solar paint uses thin-film nanoparticles instead of silicon as solar conductors. When applied to the sides of structures that face the sun, the thin solar cells invisibly generate clean, green power.”

What about installing solar for your home?

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. Go to HahaSmart.com and try our price checker tool. It tells you how much solar power you need, and how much you can save.

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