Power International trade show and conference. Why should you care if you don’t sell or buy solar equipment? Like most people who read CleanEnergyAuthority.com, you are interested in putting panels on your roof or are just very interested and supportive of using the sun to power our lives. It is no small gathering in Florida as thousands of tradespeople from all over the globe make the annual trip to Florida…
Solar power has never been more accessible. Solar panels are now more affordable thanks to technological advancements. Many homeowners lease solar panels, eliminating their financial responsibility and any maintenance-related costs. They also reduce their energy bills. According to GTM Research and Solar Energy Industries Association’s study, the third quarter of 2013 marked the highest for photovoltaic or solar installations. The fact that: Utility companies in all states except a few…
Solar panels are effective in producing excess electricity. But how exactly are they made? Solar panel manufacturing is a complex process that requires a great deal of knowledge and understanding. This blog will guide you through the manufacturing process and the different types of solar panels on the market. Solar panels are composed of silicon solar cells that are monocrystalline or multi-crystalline. These are grouped together and then sealed with…
The solar industry has recently reached a significant milestone. The 1,000,000th solar energy system in the United States was installed in a home or business. When the Energy Department launched its SunShot Initiative in 2011, there were only 150,000 solar energy systems. This means that if two of your neighbors had gone solar five years earlier, fourteen have followed suit since. Analysts predict the next million systems will be installed…
Does it make any sound if a utility pole is dropped in a forest, but no energy company employee is there to hear it? The answer to this question is currently no. Utility companies are primarily reliant on customers to report outages. Also, they need to find out if your home is powered on. Solar customers must also learn how much power their system produces and feeds into the grid.…
The solar industry is changing rapidly due to unprecedented growth. You may be surprised by these six facts about this growing energy source. 173,000 Terawatts (or 173,000 terawatts) of solar energy constantly bombard the Earth. This is more than 10,000 times the total amount of energy used worldwide. Bell Laboratories built the first silicon solar cells in 1954, the predecessors of all solar-powered products. The New York Times announced the milestone on…
Colleges and universities can be hit with large utility bills due to mini-fridges in dormitories, dishwashers in dining halls, and computer labs on campus. The SunShot Initiative aims to ease the financial burden on college campuses by allowing them to use solar power. Two projects have been funded by the Solar Market Pathways program, that is already making a difference. The first project involves the Council of Independent Colleges of Virginia working with 15 of their…
The next step after you decide to go solar is to figure out how to finance it. Suppose you’re like most Americans and need more cash to purchase your solar energy system upfront. In that case, you can choose from various financing options that will help you jump on the solar energy bandwagon. Solar panels can be purchased with a loan that will save you between 40% and 70% of…
Since World War II, the Department of Energy’s National Laboratories has been working to solve some of America’s most challenging scientific problems. They have also served as innovators. It wasn’t till 1977 that the Solar Energy Research Institute (now known as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL) opened its doors to push the limits of the earliest photovoltaic technology. Since then, NREL’s efforts have been remarkable, helping solar energy become more cost-effective…
Luckily, solar is cheaper than ever, thanks to the falling cost and rising efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. But here’s something to consider: figuring out the cost of solar energy is more than just the price tag on the boards and their rated power output. For example, there’s the panels’ lifespan to account for. And then there’s the system’s “solar energy yield” — or how much electricity it will generate…
