This is good news for the solar industry, where cost has been a barrier to wider acceptance. Thus far, technology improvements have lowered solar PV costs only marginally, with each improvement coming at a large research cost. Fierce competition on the part of the largest tech companies could change that. According to Paul Davidson in USA TODAY:

“Since May, computer powerhouses Intel (INTC), IBM (IBM) and National Semiconductor (NSM) have barreled into solar energy, joining hundreds of fellow technology mainstays. Virtually every chipmaker is weighing a solar play, says Rhone Resch, head of the Solar Energy Industries Association. ‘We have a classic Silicon Valley land rush,’ says T.J. Rodgers, CEO of Cypress Semiconductor (CY), which owns 56% of SunPower. Drawing the stalwarts is solar’s 40% annual growth, says Gartner analyst Jim Hines.”

The savings will come largely in the area of automating manufacturing. How then, will the solar industry deal with the shortage of silicon? Semiconductor International rather mysteriously predicts that supplies of silicon will increase next year. Along with the shift to solar thin film technology, which uses little or no silicon, this may mean that mass-market adaptation is within reach.

Image Credit: Trend Labs Malware Blog

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Solar Panels and the Quest for $1/Watt Energy

]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/07/30/mass-market-solar-panels-could-result-from-chipmakers-competition/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/04/06/nrel-sets-new-world-record-for-solar-cell-efficiency/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/04/06/nrel-sets-new-world-record-for-solar-cell-efficiency/#comments Sun, 06 Apr 2008 12:33:55 +0000 Carol Gulyas http://cleantechnica.com/2008/04/06/nrel-sets-new-world-record-for-solar-cell-efficiency/

From time to time the National Renewal Energy Lab (NREL) reminds us that the US used to be a leader in innovation. This time it’s in the area of solar thin film technology. The goal with solar thin film technology is to surpass the efficiency level of silicon solar cells. Efficiency refers to the rate at which sunlight falling on a solar cell is converted to electricity. Silicon has been the most efficient material, but it is is expensive and limited, so the world is seeking alternatives. (Picture above from the Dept. of Energy shows thin film manufactured by Iowa Thin Film Technologies.)

NREL has set a new world record using CIGS (copper indium gallium diselenide) thin film, which in tests has reached 19.9 percent efficiency, coming very close to the 20.3 percent level of multicrystalline solar cells.

Read more of this story »

Schott, AG

“By the year 2030, the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries could generate up to $4.5 trillion in revenue in the U.S., but only with the appropriate public policy. This would include a renewable portfolio standard, renewable energy incentives, public education, and R&D” –ASES

The beauty of green collar jobs is that they can’t be outsourced: they are local and they are looking toward the future. One source of jobs in renewable energy is at AlternativeEnergy.com. 

Not always. There’s nothing in the IRS tax code preventing businesses from investing in renewable energy systems (and energy conservation/efficiency) that allow these businesses to operate more efficiently, sustainably, and green. In fact, often there are tax credits and other incentives to encourage these kinds of investments. Some businesses, like ours, generate a surplus of energy, essentially wiping out energy costs not to mention cutting carbon emissions (more on this another day). Taking such an approach to business, boosts our bottom line profitability.

Around the Summer Solstice every year (this June 20 - 22 in 2008), the Midwest Renewable Energy Association, or MREA, hosts the world’s largest and longest-running “Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Fair” in Custer, Wisconsin, a fifteen minute drive from Stevens Point in the central part of the state. It’s one of the places where we learned the basics to transform our business, Inn Serendipity, into an independent power producer by harvesting the wind and solar energy with a 10 kW Bergey wind turbine and .7 kW photovoltaic system, respectively.

Read more of this story »

Problems with silicon-based solar electricity (PV)

In the world of solar electricity generation, the price and shortage of silicon have been barriers to wider adaptation of solar photovoltaic (PV), especially as demand continues to rise. Solar PV’s efficiency in converting sunlight to electricity has also been criticized. That’s why non-silicon-based alternatives are especially attractive. I spoke with Gregg Clevenger, CFO of Infinia Corporation, on Monday (February 11) to find out what his company is up to and why renewable energy advocates are all atwitter about it.

According to Gregg, “We set out to address climate change and went back to ground zero with our Stirling engine product, to develop it into a design that is simple enough to be mass-produced widely and to generate solar electricity at 20-30% of the cost of solar PV.”

Read more of this story »

The article skips many of the basic things that many people considering solar are already well aware of, such as that a solar PV system needs to be installed on a south or southwest facing (for installations in the northern hemisphere); those are covered in his preceeding article. Both articles provide good information, and are highly recommended reading, especially if you are seriously considering buying a solar PV system.

However, the most intriguing item to me in the article was the line "You can buy a solar system for no money down." For many homeowners with concerns about the costs and cash flow, PV panels are seen as a pricey addition that they just can’t afford to pay for right now. But that’s not necessarily the case. As Karney explains,

"You can buy a solar system with no money down. If your credit is sound, you can take out a home improvement loan for the entire cost of the system. If your monthly electricity bill is more than $150, the amount you spend paying back the loan plus your small residual electric bill will be less than you’re paying now for electricity. In other words, your PV system will put money in your pocket every month from the first day you install it. Once the loan is paid off in 15 years or so, the amount of positive cash flow will jump dramatically."

One very important caveat to this, however, is that this is from an article written for San Francisco Bay area residents, where a competitive market for solar power systems and high electricity costs combine to make this scenario more likely. It may not necessarily apply to everyone’s situation, but it useful to consider nonetheless. My own electric bill is not nearly this high, so this doesn’t apply to my situation. But there are many people who live in higher rate regions and who use more electricity for whom this approach makes good sense.

Additionally, he offers the reminder to add your PV system to your homeowner’s insurance after it is installed. And, the question of solar PV systems taking more energy to manufacture than they can produce during their lifetime is also addressed:

Some solar system critics have said that the energy produced by solar panels is less than the energy it takes to make them, and this is simply false. The energy required to manufacture your solar panels and inverter and transport them to your home is equal to about 1 to 3 years worth of the energy produced by the PV system.

The article also offers some of the same advice that we have recommended many times before, but it still bears repeating: "Before you buy a solar PV system, do what you can to reduce your consumption of electricity. Conservation is cheap compared to solar panels. Search the web for "conserving electricity", read the suggestions, and implement as many as you can." Reducing the amount of electricity that you regularly use is both the most cost effective form of conservation as well as the greenest step you can take. Keeping the coal unburned is the best way to help green the planet.

Along with Karney’s two articles, I also recommend the recent article Shane Jordan had here on Green Options about "How to Get Your Home Ready for Renewable Energy" that has a number of good suggestions about getting your home ready to install solar power.

Article: "10 MORE Things to Know Before Buying a Solar Electric System"

Dear Mr. EcoGeek,

I've heard that it takes more energy to produce photovoltaic cells than the cells will ever produce throughout their lifetime. Is there any truth to that, or are those naysayers just saying nay?

David
Spokane, WA

Short Answer:

Those naysayers are just saying nay! But that doesn't mean there's not more to this story.

Long Answer:

This myth was probably perpetuated by studying solar panels created for NASA. If you need something extremely efficient for use in outer space, yes, then it doesn't matter how much energy you use to create the panel. But for use here on Earth, it's ridiculous for anyone to say that solar panels consume more energy than they produce.

Of course, doing anything in this world takes energy. Whether it's building power lines or shipping oil from Saudi Arabia, it takes energy to make energy usable. In fact, there's a nifty number that puts all of this into perspective. It's called the “energy balance”, and it is, in short, the amount of energy you get out divided by the energy you put in.

So, for corn ethanol, for example, we get 1.3 units of energy for every 1 unit we put in, so its energy balance is 1.3. Whereas for Brazilian sugar cane ethanol, we get 8 units of energy for every one we put in. As for gasoline, its energy balance is about 5.

So what does this have to do with solar? It is a bit incorrect to apply energy balance to solar panels, because they don't actually contain the energy, so it's not something that I've ever actually seen done. But I think it makes sense to fudge it a bit in light of your question.

Data from a study (pdf) from Energy Environment and Economics Inc. showed that the average solar panel gets five times more energy out than was originally put in. Roughly the same “energy balance” as gasoline.

Still, no one is satisfied with that number.

Thousands of scientists, engineers and business people are working, right now, to increase solar's energy balance, and many have done it substantially. The simplest and most common methods include making sure that the panels are always at a 90 degree angle to the sun, increasing the life of the panels, and decreasing the amount of photovoltaic (PV) material needed in the panels.

As PV material (usually polysilicon) is energy intensive to create, a lot of folks are trying to figure out how to use less of it. One common method is to use mirrors or lenses to concentrate the sunlight on a relatively small amount of polysilicon material. Additionally, a whole other branch of the solar industry is trying to make solar panels from less energy-intensive materials, including the much-touted copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) thin-film solar panels.

There may be some economic reason to not be an early adopter of solar, but there is certainly no doubt that they produce a lot more energy than they consume. And soon, they'll be producing even more.

Got a question for the EcoGeek? Use our submission form to send it to him.

Ask the EcoGeek is a syndicated weekly column from EcoGeek.org. If you are interested in syndicating Ask the EcoGeek, please contact us at editor@ecogeek.org

Green Options also has a growing list of discussion forums with topics like “Alternative Energy” and – my favorite – the “Solar Power Fan Club.” You can post a question, comment, or recommendation and hook up with other folks who are exploring solar for the first time or perhaps are seasoned users. You can even start a new discussion thread if your topic doesn’t fit an established one.

You’ll see even more from Green Options in the near future; our online tools will provide practical assistance and information to help you get started on the road to solar. In the meantime, the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency is a good, easy-to-navigate site that has financial assistance organized by type (utility rebates, state incentives, etc). The Solar Energy Industries Association is in 14 states and monitors state programs, stays up-to-date on legislation, and can help out homeowners who are having trouble with a local homeowners association or zoning board.

If you are thinking of going solar, or perhaps are already in the process, be assured that there are lots of other folks out there also learning and making the switch. We here at Green Options hope to make that journey a bit easier.

Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency
Solar Energy Industries Association

Believe it or not, humans have been trying to harness the sun’s incredible power to make electricity for years. Some visionaries, at the height of the industrial revolution, questioned what the world would do after using up all the fossil fuel supplies and began exploring solar power. Frank Shuman, a solar engineer in the early 20th century, declared that the sun is “the most rational source of power.”

Today, the most common type of solar power you probably see – whether on roofs or yard lights – use photovoltaic cells or “PVs” to convert sunlight into energy. PV cells are small, square semiconductors made in thin film layers, mostly from silicon. When the sun shines on the cell, a chemical reaction releases electrons, generating direct current (DC) electricity. The current is then fed through an inverter to make alternating current (AC). For a more detailed description, click here to see a short video from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Currently there are 475 megawatts of solar power installed in the United States, enough to power about 240,000 homes. The U.S. used to be the global leader in PV manufacturing, but has been surpassed by Japan and is barely ahead of China. However, no country has even begun to tap the sun’s potential: The amount of energy from sunlight that hits the earth every hour is more energy than humans can use in an entire year. But with the right government incentives like we're seeing in California, combined with entrepreneurs and a good business climate, many are predicting a sunny outlook for solar technologies.

Boston Museum of Science
DuPont
History of Solar Energy
Investors Business Daily
The Solar Depot
U.S. Department of Energy