solar pv cost analysis
One of the problems with photovoltaic (pv) solar panels is their inefficiency relative to other forms of renewable energy. In a way this is not important because solar energy is free. But solar home energy systems do tend to need a lot of space to produce useful amounts of electric power.
Building a do it yourself solar power system is easy, and the material costs are not very much. Nevertheless, smaller systems would be very welcome, and many solar electric companies, such as Mitsubishi Electric, are rapidly developing residential solar energy systems that will produce pv solar panels with much greater efficiency and at much lower cost.
Halving costs every eight years is now the target, at the same time achieving efficiency improvements of 25% to 30%.
One illustration of how this is being done is to concentrate solar energy on to each pv cell with a sort of magnifying glass. This is known as the fresnel effect, which uses a series of optical lenses to direct large amounts of sunlight on to small areas of pv material. It has already been possible to achieve the same amount of electricity with one fortieth the size of a standard pv cell, and this will improve further.
By using new forms of polycrystalline cells it is now possible for pv solar panels to produce nearly 25% more electricity. Solar power for homes is getting better and cheaper, and it is not confined to sunbelt states either. The fact is that pv solar panels depend on available light conditions rather than direct sun. They do work best in hot countries, where daylight levels are good, but they do also work very well in colder climates, for example Canada and the UK.
Quite possibly this sort of thing will be coming to a solar home near you in the next year or so.
On the subject of financial assistance, or the lack of it, by many countries and states, there is now a noticeable determination to be seen in many governments to put the funding of diy home energy systems on a sound footing. The European Union has various directives in force that mandate very significant improvements in renewable energy systems by 2020, and many member states are finally co-operating to achieve these targets. As a result pv-sourced solar energy is expected to rise from the present 1% to perhaps as much as 12% of total energy usage by that time and, to enable this to happen, so-called feed-in tariffs have been introduced by many countries to encourage investment in commercial and residential alternative energy systems. Versions of this exist already in many US states.
The feed-in tariff replaces the old idea of partial grants or loans with a mandated price for energy units fed in to the national grid system. This makes financial returns much more attractive for investors, and will stimulate further improvements in achieving an efficient home solar power system.
We have always believed in solar power for homes, and we know that diy solar power is both easy to make and also very rewarding. Yes, developments in the pipeline mean that more efficient pv cells will become available for diy solar panels in due course, but you will be wasting more and more cash on those utility bills for every minute you delay making your own solar energy system.
Making your own home solar panel is a really good idea. If you would like some professional help and advice, along with some very good quality plans, we suggest you take a look at an excellent solar home energy kit which we highly recommend. It does what it says on the box, gives you great value for money, and also gives you peace of mind that you will be making the system properly. You will not regret taking our advice.
Author: Kieran Gracie
Our aim is to provide in one place practical details and information about all types of solar energy systems, including expert advice and guidance for making a number of projects such as solar panels, wind turbines, windmills, solar water heaters for houses and swimming pools, and other easy step-by-step guides for the amateur and professional alike.
Please go to our specialized website Practical-Solar to learn more. We hope you will find your visit interesting and stimulating.
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