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5 Reasons Why Rooftop Solar Needs to Make The Technology Jump

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Are you looking for the reasons that why rooftop solar needs to make the technology jump? Then you are on the right spot continue reading the blog we will guide you on all the reasons and solutions to cope with this. First, you have to know that what is rooftop solar and how they work.
Rooftop Solar power is a usable energy source that is generated from the sun in the form of thermal, heat, or electrical energy. Solar energy is easily captured in a different variety of ways, among all the most common of all is with the great photovoltaic rooftop solar panels that highly convert the rays coming from the sun into very much usable electricity.

Just aside from using the other photovoltaic cells or panels to generate electricity, great solar energy is highly used in different thermal applications to heat large indoor spaces or huge fluids. Residential as well as commercial property owners have also installed huge solar hot water systems and also design their high buildings with much passive and best solar heating in mind to highly and fully take the advantage of the energy coming from the sun with great solar technology.

Here we list down the 5 reasons why Rooftop Solar Needs to Make The Technology Jump, all of us should be looking very hard at the given module technology first when it highly comes to our solar rooftop requirements.

 
1. Rooftop solar highly support domestic upgrades.

Rooftop solar greatly subsidies need to highly nudge the buyers towards good technology upgrades, from the polycrystalline modules to a very newer version. If this rooftop solar means a pause in lowering the different rates, then it is a very much worthwhile investment for the long-term energy production just during the service life.

Most important of all, it will give you huge domestic manufacturers, which ultimately give you a much bigger market to target, and you consequently invest in the best product upgrade themselves. This also highly means that we are in the line with the other rest of the world where the huge Residential and good commercial segment has already highly adopted the newer technologies like for instance the most bifacial modules.

 
2. Give a long time span 25 years life

The 25 years life acquires very high real meaning here. In most of the developed markets, a good solar rooftop system is supposed to be added to the very real estate value of the house. In many countries, owners highly need to see it as a superb and appreciating asset, that can easily generate much higher returns just by considering the most upward, most trajectory of huge grid power costs.
The overall performance degradation in the residential rooftop has daily and regularly outstripped the utility-scale plants, for many reasons related to the bad subpar quality of many types of equipment and installation process. This kind of short-term thinking highly needs to be condemned and junked.

 

3. Performance ratio and energy density

The main current component best manufacturers have very cleverly pivoted all discussion around the great Wp, where the higher is considered better. Whereas, for every rooftop solar owner, the overall discussion needs to go from very buzzwords like the great Wattpeak (WP)of the module.
What matters very strongly is how the modules are been performing in the real conditions that are backed by the real data from the ground and have to know that what is the PR i.e the Performance ratio and the high energy density. In this case, it is only the owner’s who own money at his\her risk, itself a very strong case to consider by everyone with a critical eye.

 

4. Long term verification future proof

The future Proof against the forced upgrades. For a huge 25 year high investment, it is very much critical to go with the technology and the high service standards that can highly deliver.

Many of the firms offering a very high level of service support the backed by a very real record on the ground just by signaling their overall commitment to the market. You should go with those.

 
5. The Rooftop Solar is not easily Stifled With the Price ‘Ceilings’

A very large part of some residential rooftop segment is highly wedded to a much-controlled pricing regime just due to its bond linkage with other central subsidies and other state agencies that highly approve the vendors, a very much significant part of the commercial industrial segment and industrial segment (C&I), is highly free of such stifling controls.

With much better prices and great models like the RESCO (Renewable Energy Service Company) or the open, it has been in the very interest of the huge developers to make a great quality a high key factor when it just comes to the modules, and that has clearly been shown in the overall results.
Some final words!

Rooftop Solar is a whole big new world, with a completely varied different list of requirements. Be its comparisons with the expensive grid power or other space constraints, its high role as a primary or great supplementary energy source that can be attained by everyone.

 

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The Five Most Common Mistakes When Buying Solar

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As electricity prices rise, installing solar on your house or company is a fantastic way to save money in the long run. Most people who go solar enjoy the benefits, but find the installation procedure difficult. Solar panel installation on your rooftop is a significant financial investment, and you should demand the top quality work for your property. There are a few mistakes to avoid in your search for a better solar match. Many individuals are deceived by misleading claims, organisations that cut corners or vanish as quickly as they exist, and ‘inexpensive’ offers that turn out to be too good to be true. Fortunately, these mistakes are easy to prevent.

 

Here are the top Five blunders individuals make while looking for a solar power solution, as well as how to overcome them.

 

1. Assuming that a low-cost system will function just as well as a high-end systems –

With the development of solar panels around Australia, it’s common to assume that all solar firms are the same and that it’s best to go along with the lowest service available. Accepting the lowest estimate you can find could result in major difficulties down the road, and those same systems typically come with little to no after-sales service. When it comes to cheaper solar panels, you often get what you paid for: low-quality or improperly fitted panels, defective inverter, a system that fails to meet its claims, and bad or non-existent after-sales customer service or support. While a premium solution may be more expensive but it will pay off in the long run with significant energy savings, long-term functionality, and continued after-sales support.

 

2. Thinking in terms of a “one-size-fits-all” approach –

A solar panel should be customized according to your energy requirements. Your solar power system should be carefully sized based on your current power consumption, the days and times when you use the most power, your expectations and goals for lowering your energy costs or decreasing your dependence on the power system, and your plans for the future. The expert you’re conversing with be able to listen to your responses to these questions. They should also be able to immediately and clearly describe how their proposal takes your future ambitions into account. If a salesman promises a “one size fits all” strategy, is unable to describe how their solution is customized to your requirements, or, worse yet, does not ask for this detail at all, ring up by calling other firm.

 

3. Not doing your analysis on the brand(s) the merchant is selling –

Solar power is a long-term asset in your house, so you should learn everything you can about the items and companies offered by your selected supplier. Go through discussions and opinions to see whether other consumers have had a positive experience with these items. Contact each organization and question about the solar panels and inverters they use in their services, particularly the type and designer, as well as why they picked those companies. If the firm is unable to respond to your queries or just fails to provide this details, hang up and cross them off your list.

 

4. Not to read and understand the warranty terms –

“Not taking a warranty of Yearly Generation per KWp placed by the Solar Panel” is the most typical blunder. In Central India, lower-priced panels produce between 1200 and 1400 KWH per KWp per year, whereas higher-quality panels produce more than 1550 KWH per KWp, although at a greater initial cost.

When you’re ready to sign up for your fresh solar energy system, check the guarantee terms thoroughly to ensure you understand your rights.
A solar panel efficiency guarantee protects the panel’s functionality for a period of time, usually 25 years. The solar panel supplier offers this type of guarantee, which is pretty common in the business.

The solar panel elements and construction guarantee covers any defective components or quality in the panel’s construction, and it’s usually transmitted directly from the solar panel producer to you, the consumer. These guarantees usually last between five and ten years. The implementation package includes the workmanship of how your solar energy system is placed on your home and is usually provided directly by the solar energy supplier to you. These guarantees vary considerably from one supplier to the next, but they usually last at least two years and can last up to five years with top providers.

 

5. Failure to prepare your system for the future –

You want to make sure you’ve considered any future demands or wants when making a large purchase like solar. Although most solar panels may be linked to battery storage, there are a few more factors to consider before taking a final decision. If you decide to install a battery now or later, you may have to add more solar panels to ensure that you can produce power for both your daytime and evening demands.

Many organisations advertise solutions for relatively low prices, tricking customers into signing up for a service that will fail too early and cost a lot of money in the long run. You can manage through the research and locate your ideal solar connection by staying watchful, making the correct questions, and having your upcoming plans in mind.

 

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Solar Energy : A Hidden Asset to Increase Commercial Property Value

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Solar panels for commercial use are a set of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels that turn sunlight into electricity. Commercial solar panels are a source of clean, renewable solar energy that requires minimal maintenance and emits no carbon dioxide, a global concern.
Switching to commercial solar panels for your company may have seemed risky to you as a business owner. You’ve probably heard about big companies like Walmart, Kohl’s, Costco, Apple, IKEA and others going solar, but you didn’t think it was feasible for your business. It’s past time to let go of that way of thinking. Many business owners are incorporating solar power into their operations and reaping the benefits. The amount of electricity produced by your solar solution is determined by the orientation of your roof and the amount of solar power needed to operate your house.

Solar power is no longer just for large businesses. Solar power has many advantages that businesses of all sizes should take advantage of. Solar energy has proven to be a strategic choice with numerous benefits for your business.

Building with high-quality solar panels for commercial property has more property value than one that depends on fossil fuels.
Solar energy system owners – your home’s property value has increased as a result of them! Homes with solar systems sell for more money than homes without them, according to a recent report by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Homes with solar panels sell for 4.1 percent more than comparable homes without them, according to a Zillow survey. Solar panels have the ability to raise the property value of commercial property.

 

Uncovering Commercial Property’s Secret Value

It’s no secret that commercial and industrial buildings have a big influence on how much energy we use. According to recent estimates, these types of structures account for 72 percent of all electricity consumed in the United States.

Building owners will reduce their electricity bill by 20% to 40% by converting to solar power, according to a 2018 study from the Solar Energy Industries Association. Property owners can increase their property value by changing the way they buy power as the economics of large-scale solar change and the business demand increases. Instead of leaving money on the table, property owners can increase the value of their commercial property by changing the way they buy power.

According to several reports, homes and commercial property with solar panels have higher property values and sell faster than those without. That isn’t going to change anytime soon. With the solar revolution gaining traction, adding commercial solar panels to your commercial might make it more appealing. Lowering your electric bills is a huge plus for any business owner.

If your commercial solar panels are installed and connected to the electricity grid, you’ll notice a reduction in your monthly energy bills. You’ll have more cash on hand once your panels are paid off because less money goes to the power company.

When a company embracing commercial solar power owns the site and the solar equipment being installed, the greatest possible value-add exists. Purchasing commercial solar equipment outright allows owners to take advantage of any available tax incentives, lower electricity costs, and the possibility of claiming renewable energy credits.

Commercial solar projects are not all created equal particularly when it comes to place. If you live in a place where there isn’t much sunshine for long periods of time during the year (or if your building sits in the shadow of a nearby mountain or forest tree line during peak sun hours), it would be difficult to argue that the value of your home would rise enough to justify solar as the best renewable energy option. Similarly, commercial solar may not be the best choice if your municipal policy prohibits net metering and/or you aren’t eligible for other financial incentives.

 

Solar Panels are Now More Affordable than they Have Ever Been –

Over the last decade, the cost of installing solar panels has dropped by more than 70%. As a result, the cost of installing solar panels has decreased. The federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), as well as state tax credits and cash rebates, all help to lower the cost of installing a solar panel.

 

High Validity and Low Maintaining –

Solar panels for commercial use are practically maintenance-free and silent. Commercial properties are usually designed in such a way that they are readily accessible. The solar cells are protected by tempered glass and non-corrosive aluminum frames. They’re made to withstand the elements and can withstand rain, hail, wind, and snow – pretty much any weather-related hazard. The photovoltaic cells that make up solar panels break down quite rarely in general.

 

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How Do Solar Panels Save Energy?

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A solar panel system is a conjoint array of photovoltaic (PV) solar cells that capture energy pouring from the sun in the form of photons; and transform that captured solar energy directly into electricity. As solar panels have gotten inexpensive over the years, a large number of Indians have begun embracing this gift from the sun. The government, too, has put immense money behind the development of solar power to meet its progressive target of generating 40 GW of power from rooftop projects by 2022.

 

How Does It Work?

It’s important to know how solar energy works, because it is this process that helps us grasp how it saves energy. Simply put, solar energy is energy that has been harnessed from the sun. The solar power itself is generated by a surface/medium that collects energy, which is a solar power system, as well as converting the captured energy into heat or electricity.

Two main ways that convert solar energy into solar power using a solar panel-

 

Photovoltaic Conversion (PV)–

This is a direct conversion method, and is the most commonly used form of generating solar energy. It involves the use of solar panels, or solar PV panels.

 

Solar Thermal Conversion –

This is an indirect conversion method, and is used to generate heat for your home. It involves the use of a thermal collector to generate the heat so that your water or home can be warmed using solar energy

Industrial solar panels and residential solar panels, both consist of solar or photovoltaic (PV) cells, which convert light energy into electrical energy. The PV cells of a solar rooftop panel are made up of P-N junction cells. When light (Photons) are incident on a solar cell, it gives energy to electrons which then moves to the conduction band from the valence band. This flow of electrons is known as current. The important way in which solar panels help to save energy is through removing a household’s dependence on the Country’s Power Grid. Alternatively, one can store extra energy in a solar battery, giving complete independence, even during the night and emergencies

And one of the ways the Indian government has been going about doing this is through the concept of net metering.

 

What is Net Metering?

Net metering is a process in which the electricity board keeps track of the energy consumed and generated by a solar panelled house. It allows consumers to feed surplus solar power into the state’s power grid when they don’t need it, and receive a credit on their electricity bill.

For example, in a state that has implemented the net metering policy, you get credited for the electricity you deliver back to the grid at the same price that you pay for the electricity.

 

Benefits of this Process

  • Savings on the Power Bill – With net metering systems, you only pay for the deficit power consumed i.e. the difference between the power consumed by the household from the grid and the solar power generated from the panels. This drastically reduces your electricity bill.
  • Not High Maintenance – Net metering system components like solar panels, inverter and mounting structures need low maintenance. Since these installations do not require generators or batteries, considerable expense for their maintenance is avoided.
  • Optimal Energy Utilisation – Power travelling from the grid to your home incurs transmission and distribution losses. These losses are almost negligible in net metering systems as energy is generated and consumed at the same spot.

How The Net Metering System Works?

In a rooftop net metering system, the DC power generated from the solar PV panels is converted to AC power using a power conditioning unit and is fed to the grid. These systems generate power during the day time, which is utilized fully to power captive loads and feed excess power to the grid. In case solar power is insufficient due to cloud cover or rain, the captive loads are served by drawing power from the grid. To enable net-metering, state electricity boards replace the existing connection meter with a bidirectional meter that displays the import and export energy separately.

 

In conclusion, here are some quick tips on buying your own efficient solar panel system
  1. Decide on the type of solar panels beforehand
  2. Make sure that solar panel mounting is certified based on your area specifications
  3. Be aware of the manufacturer’s warranty on the solar panel system
  4. Do not go for cheap and poor quality of solar panels and equipment
  5. Ask friends, neighbors and family who have had solar PV systems installed for recommendation

 

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Researchers Develop A Method to Improve the Solar Cell Efficiency

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You may hear the word efficiency been thrown around a lot when discussing solar energy. Currently, the low solar panel efficiency is the number one reason why consumers resist adopting solar energy. The solar panels available in the market today possess an efficiency of around 14% to 18%.  Researchers have spent the majority of their efforts in increasing the efficiency of the solar panels. New experiments reveal that researchers are on the cusp of something new.

Before revealing how researchers are tackling the issue of low efficiency, let’s first understand what is solar efficiency and the basic understanding of how solar panels work.

What Is Solar Efficiency?

Solar panel efficiency is the amount of energy a solar cell can convert when it interacts with sunlight into usable electricity. These solar cells are tightly packed in a rectangular box designed to attract sunlight. For additional information about solar panel manufacturing, you can visit the blog How Are Solar Panels Manufactured? The Ultimate Guide.

The measurement of efficiency can be done easily if the efficiency of a solar panel is termed as 20% efficient, it means it can convert 20% of the energy received from the sunlight.

Researchers Develop A Method to Improve the Solar Cell Efficiency

How Does a Solar Panel Work?

In simple terms, the solar panel works by allowing photons to interact with the silicon particles releasing electrons resulting in the flow of electricity. They are usually comprised of a number of photovoltaic cells (Photovoltaic simple means converting the energy of a photon to electricity)

Ground Breaking Research to Increase Solar Efficiency

 #1 Development of New Process to Improve the Efficiency of DSSC (Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell)

Dye-sensitized solar cells are third-generation solar cells which convert any visible light into electrical energy. DSSC is a disruptive technology which can be used to create electricity even in low light conditions, indoors and outdoors, enabling you to convert both natural and artificial light.

The DSSC holds a lot of promise because of their environmental benefits. But the current DSSC technology has a very low light to electricity conversion ratio. The new process addresses this inefficiency.

The first generation silicon-based solar cells have a high efficiency of 26% but they are not economical. Second generation thin-film solar cells comprising semiconductors have comparable efficiencies with a similar price range. The third generation DSSC solar cells have low efficiency, with lower cost and less environmental impact.

Researchers recently introduced holmium oxide, a powerful paramagnetic material into the anode of a DSSC cell and applying an external magnetic field. The experiment showed a spike inefficiency.

However, the application of magnetic field consumes a lot of external energy because the electromagnets themselves require an external power source for functioning.  Researchers then replaced holmium oxide with iron oxide magnetic particles which produce a magnetic field internally. Even this experiment witnessed a spike inefficiency.

The dye molecule absorbs the light energy in DSSC and causes the electron to jump to titania and then the external circuit, which results in the flow of electrons and thus electricity.

Researchers Develop A Method to Improve the Solar Cell Efficiency

#2 A New Way to Strike High Energy Photons to the Silicon Material

Traditional solar energy panels have an absolute low-efficiency mechanism. In principle, a single photon could only extract one silicon electron, irrespective of the energy it possesses.

Researchers have now developed a way to strike high energy photon and knock out two electrons instead of one.

 How Do Photons and Electrons Interact?

The energy from the photons can be absorbed or released by electrons. When an electron absorbs a photon, it gains the energy to release itself and move freely in the vacuum chamber or it can release the energy as another photon. Solar panels absorb energy from electrons to generate electricity.

Researchers Split the Absolute Photon’s Energy

The present silicon solar cells have a theoretical maximum efficiency of 29%. As mentioned earlier, no matter how energetic the photon is, the principle is to extract only one electron. The new process developed by researchers involves extracting two electrons from a single energy photon by using a phenomenon called “excited states”

What is an Exited State?

When an electron temporarily achieved a state higher than its original ground state, the phenomenon is known as the excited state of an electron. An electron can become excited when supplied from an external energy source such as packets of photons or light.

In excitons, when the packets of energy travel like electrons in the circuit, you can use them to change the amount of energy they possess – you can cut them or you can combine them to gain the required output.

Researchers Develop A Method to Improve the Solar Cell Efficiency

The researchers were successful in carrying out a singlet exciton fission, which allows a single photon of sunlight to be split into two individual packets of energy.

First, the material absorbs light energy and enter into an exciton state that rapidly undergoes fission and splits the photon into two energy packets, each one possessing half the energy of the original photon.

The next task researchers had was to combine these packets of energy with silicon electrons, a material that is not excitonic. A layer of hafnium oxynitride acts as an intermediate layer for the excited states to transfer two electrons to the silicon material.

Theoretically, this produces a much greater energy output than the traditional solar panels. Currently, the theoretical efficiency lies around 29%, this process is promising a jump to 35%.

The next hurdle is to optimize the silicon cell to adapt this process and hence the commercial application of this new technology may take a few years.

The efficiency of the solar cells is the biggest hurdle in the widespread acceptance of this clean renewable source. With the advent of new technology, promises around solar efficiency are taking a new and exciting turn. If successful, solar energy could really become the future fuel as predicted by many energy experts.

The two new methods of enhancing the existing efficiency of solar panels look promising. The best thing about these technologies is that it doesn’t require any additional accessories since the research is been done at an atomic level with few chances of getting affected by any external factors.

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Solar Subsidy – A Detailed Process Of Getting Loan From NABARD

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India is the world’s third largest producer of electricity, yet it is ironic how the major part of Indian villages and even urban areas face an acute shortage of electricity. There are a number of cities, towns, and villages that do not receive ample amount of electricity and hence an alternative source of electricity is exploited by Indian consumers.

In this case, solar energy is a top contender among the alternative renewable resource. In fact, to promote solar energy in India, the Government started various solar energy schemes to provoke people to choose this alternative source. The objective of the majority of schemes is to support domestic production of solar energy and supply critical products to achieve that goal.

As apart of these missions government has initiated subsidy schemes to help individuals and organizations procure solar energy systems at reduced capital cost.  The scheme is being implemented by IREDA (Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd.) through NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development).

What are Solar Energy Subsidies?  

Energy subsidies are measures that keep prices for consumers below market levels or for producers above market levels or reduce costs for consumers and producers. Energy subsidies may be direct cash transfers to producers, consumers, or related bodies, as well as indirect support mechanisms, such as tax exemptions and rebates, price controls, trade restrictions, and limits on market access. They may also include energy conservation subsidies. The development of today’s major modern energy industries has all relied on substantial subsidy support.

Benefits of Energy Subsidies

  • Security of Supply: Subsidies are used to ensure adequate domestic supply by supporting alternative energy production to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and overseas deals with national energy companies.
  • Environmental impact: Subsidies are used to promote solar energy resources and decrease the impact of fossil fuel on the environment and fulfill international obligations.
  • Economic benefits: Subsidies in the form of reduced prices helps to develop a particular sector or segments of the population. Eg – Increasing access to electricity can help alleviate poverty in developing countries like India.
  • Employment: Subsidies are used to maintain employment, especially during the economic crisis.
Solar Subsidy – A Detailed Process Of Getting Loan From NABARD

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)

NABARD is an apex development financial institutions of India. Headquartered in Mumbai, the regional offices are scattered all over India. The bank concerns itself with policies, planning, and operations in the field of agriculture and other important sectors in Rural India.

Procedure to Get Solar Subsidy on Solar panels Through NABARD in India

The step mentioned below outlines the procedure of purchasing a solar panel system and also obtain a solar subsidy from NABARD.

  • The first step is to contact a reliable solar panel dealer/manufacturer from whom you would like to purchase a solar panel system. Your dealer must be authorized under MNRE (Ministry of New and Renewable Energy).
  • But only the models approved by MNRE are eligible to be covered under the scheme. The list mentioned below depicts the models approved by MNRE:
Solar Subsidy – A Detailed Process Of Getting Loan From NABARD

Image Source: NABARD

  • The benchmark cost of solar panel system is Rs.270 Wp as per NABARD’s document. But the costs change from time to time, and your dealer must be aware of these prices and should guide you during the process.
  • 40% of the cost is subsidized and the rest must be paid by the consumer and is also eligible for a soft loan. However, the margin to be paid by the beneficiary is decided by RBI norms. The repayment period for the loan is 5 years. The interest rates to be paid are also decided by RBI norms.
  • In case the benchmark cost is more than the unit cost, you receive all 40% of the subsidy. But if the benchmark cost is less than the unit cost, then you receive the maximum ceiling cost as mentioned in the table above.
  • Only individuals, a group of individuals, Non-profit organizations and farmer’s group are eligible for subsidy under NABARD bank. Public/Private sector are not eligible for this loan.
  • To avail the loan and subsidy process, you need to have a bank account with a scheduled commercial bank or a regional rural bank. Most public national bank is eligible for this subsidy.
  • To obtain loan and subsidy, you need to submit the quotations and documents available from the dealer. The dealer should provide MNRE approval form, TIn number, project proposals and some other legal documents verifying their business.
  • After document submission and loan approval the process is run through NABARD for subsidy approval. The rate of interest starts as soon as the loan is processed. Though NABARD takes some time to process the subsidy and according to MNRE, should not be subjected to EMI’s.
  • The bankers own the rights to recall the amount if they see some discrepancy in the usage of subsidy.

How Much Solar Subsidy is Available?

According to the latest reports of MNRE. 30% to 90% subsidy is available for all the consumers in India.

  • 90% on solar pumps for farmers only
  • 70% for 3 hill states – Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu, and Kashmir
  • 30%-40% in all states of India

Who Can Get Subsidy on Solar Panels in India?

All the following consumers can get a Govt. Subsidy through MNRE projects:

  • Domestic: All residential owners are eligible to receive a subsidy from Govt.
  • Social Sector: All registered bodies, societies, multi-story buildings, co-operative group housing societies are eligible to receive subsidies.
  • Institutions: All school, colleges, and similar institutions are eligible for a subsidy
  • Non-Profit Organizations: NGO’s including orphanage, old age homes, homes for disabled etc are eligible for loans and subsidies.

Return on Investment – ROI of Solar Panels

Residential and commercial solar residents who spent 1500/- monthly should consider installing a grid-tied solar panel to save their net metering benefits by at least 20% – 30%.

An approximate estimate is given below:

Solar Subsidy – A Detailed Process Of Getting Loan From NABARD

Image Source: NABARD

Frequently Asked Questions – Grid Connected Rooftop Solar

What is a Rooftop Solar System

In a rooftop solar panel system, the solar panels are installed on a residential building, commercial complex or an institution. There are generally two types:

  • Grid-Connected Solar Panel system
  • Rooftop solar panels with a storage facility

How much area is required for a 1kW of a solar panel system

A 1kW rooftop system generally requires 12 sq.meteres (130 square feet) of flat shadow-free area. The actual size depends on the size of the roof and whether the condition and efficiency of the solar panel.

How much area is required for a 1kW of a solar panel system

The average cost of grid-connected rooftop solar systems is about Rs. 75 per watt.

What is Net metering?

Net metering is a billing mechanism that credits a value to the electricity produced by the solar panel owners and transfers it to the grid.  Alternatively, two meters can be added separately to measure the input and output of the energy.

What is Feed in Tariff?

The feed-in-Tariff is the tariff the government offers for purchase of solar power generated from such plants.

What are the Requirements from the State to promote rooftop solar panels?

  • States should have a well-designed policy to promote grid-ties solar panel system.
  • The state should regulate appropriate tariff, net metering feed-in tariff, and grid connectivity.
  • The distribution companies should allow distributing electricity through feed-in tariffs and net metering policies.

What are the Different Models of Implementation of Rooftop Solar Panels?

  • CAPEX Model: Here the entire rooftop solar system is owned by rooftop owner. The operation and maintenance for the system lifetime is also the responsibility of the owner. The dealer must install the solar panels is responsible for the first two years of operation and maintenance.
  • RESCO Model: Here the entire system is owned by the developer. The operation and maintenance responsibility is also with the developer. The rooftop owner may consume electricity for which they have to pay a pre-defined tariff on a monthly basis. Excess generation may be exported to the grid, subject to availability of requisite state regulations.

What efforts is Government taking to Push Solar energy Power?

Government of India and the department of financial service have encouraged all nationalized banks to provide a home loan/home improvement loan to install a rooftop solar panel and include the cost of the system in the home loan proposals. So far, nine PSBs namely Bank of India, Syndicate Bank, State Bank of India, Dena Bank, Central Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Allahabad Bank, Indian Bank and Indian Overseas Bank have given instructions to extend the loan for Grid Interactive Rooftop Solar PV Plants as home loan/ home improvement loan.

Conclusion

Keeping in mind the cost of installation of solar panels, the main objective of the mission is to promote the installation of rooftop solars on residential and commercial buildings. The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) is responsible for implementing the scheme with the help of NABARD. After the modification of the scheme on 15th March 2012, it has been declared that 40% subsidy will be provided on capital costs of solar PV systems for units which are located in both urban and rural areas of India.

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Solar Heat For Industrial Processes

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Solar energy is witnessing new technological advancements everyday. Now a new revolution is just around the corner. Now solar energy isn’t just for electricity. It can also provide carbon-free heat for a variety of industrial process. The industrial process that drives our economy  – manufacturing, food production, mining, chemical production is always under the hood. But there is one common point which drives these industries – Heat, a lot’s of it, which takes an enormous amount of fuel to produce it. Heat and fuel is an important part of any industrial economy. But also the most devasting form of energy when it comes to global heating.

The good news is that new technological advancements in solar energy, we can generate heat and steam at large volume as required by industry- cutting cost, reducing emissions and more importantly controlling the carbon footprint of industries.

Despite many attempts to ramp up renewable energy projects around the world, the consumption of coal is an all-time high in many countries. This must change at a global level. Worldwide industries constitute for about one-fourth of total carbon emission, With the transportation and domestic use of energy going down, industrial use is predicted to rise in the forthcoming decade.

As people around the world continue to migrate from village to urban cities and buying and consuming more goods, the industrial demand will keep on rising. This is the reason why the need to replace fossil fuel with solar heat is becoming more urgent.

Which brings us back to heat. Industries are the largest consumer of heat energy. Around 74% of the energy consumed by the industries is in the form of heat. Solar heat is still an unexplored but promising avenue due to reducing dependency on fossil fuels.

Integration of Solar Heat into Industrial Process

Solar Heat For Industrial Processes

The most industrial process requires heating of both the fluid systems ( hot air steam, hot water) or a reservoir or both to run their industrial machines. The existing heating systems are based on the water getting converted into steam and the heat required is provided by non-renewables like petroleum, diesel, coal or electricity generated by different energy sources. Solar processes can contribute to reducing at least 20% of fossil fuel consumption. A limiting factor for solar heat integration is the scarcity of roof space to install solar energy panels.

The integration of solar heat into the industrial process can be done by the following three methods:

1) As a heat source for direct heating of circulating fluid

2) As an alternative source of heat for processes with low-temperature requirements

3) As an additional source of heat coupled with fossil fuel sources

With the first option, the storage will be an important component, since you need to provide heat throughout the day. With the second and third option, the solar heat will work together with fossil fuels when an additional source of heat is required.

Integration of solar heat with industrial process requires you to also create some remedial and control strategies to handle the non-continuous supply of solar heat. The accurate designing of solar panel systems can be carried out by accounting the energy demands and supply. 

Performance and Cost of Integrating Solar Heat

Solar Heat For Industrial Processes

Solar heat is been explored since the late 1970s and large scale solar energy projects have been deployed in numerous industries for demonstration purposes since the late 1980s. The most significant problems encountered are corrosion, leakage of pipes, faulty tracking system or dust collecting in the solar collectors. The advanced designs of solar collectors have addressed these issues but also made it more expensive. The capacity factor is also location specific and can range from 4% (e.g. Japan) to 16-20% (e.g. UAE/India) to 29% (e.g. Mexico).

Between 50-70% of the cost involved in implement solar heat is related to capital, the remaining 20-30% covers the installation and integration cost. In terms of individual components, the solar energy collector and installation accounts for 50%, piping and circulating system accounts for 20 %, buffer and storage systems accounts around 10%, control systems for 5% and rest 15% includes other miscellaneous expenses.

Most technologies and solar components are provided by local companies, similar to those provided in the residential Solar PV sector. However, for larger projects, there is an international transfer of technologies.

In the future, solar thermal components can be made more cost-effective when designed to deliver specific industrial process needs.

As a countries installation capacity tends to increase, the large installation will facilitate economic benefits and lower investment costs, thus increasing the projects overall economic viability.

Drivers and Barriers 

Solar Heat For Industrial Processes

The key benefits of adopting solar heat for the industrial process include

1) reducing the dependency of industries on fossil fuels

2) reducing the risk of associated with the rising price coal, petroleum and natural gas.

3) eliminating fuel cost

4) reducing carbon footprint

The current cost of solar collectors is controlled by relatively a small number of suppliers. Although these technologies are of high performance, the cost is not yet suitable for the global market. The previous experience of dealing with local authorities for solar components reduces the capital cost and improve business opportunities for local people.

The main barriers to increase the deployment of solar heat for the industrial process include

High initial investment and lack of financing options: All solar projects invites a high initial investment. Proper maintenance is required to operate the project optimally over its full life expectancy. It takes years before you first start making a profit from your installed capacity. The upfront costs are high and cannot be afforded by medium and small scale enterprise. However, large scale industries are already taking some small calculated step towards adopting this technology.

Fossil fuel pricing: In many countries, the fuel utilized by industries is subsidized to support industrial development. This makes fossil fuels cost-friendly when compared to solar heat.

Lack of research and design tools: There are very few institutes who are actively involved in researching solar heat technologies. As a result of which there is no complete information available regarding design guidelines and tools. Even for existing technology, the knowledge of optimum integration is scarce and as a result, the efficiency takes a toll. Training and dissemination of existing knowledge and concepts are needed to overcome this problem.

Public awareness: Probably the most significant barrier in deploying solar heat is the lack of public awareness. There are very few industries who have the first-hand experience of actually implementing the technology. Due to the high cost, many industries do not try for a trial and error method. This is likely a key barrier in large scale solar heat adoption. The economic and practical advantages of adopting solar heat are yet to be explored on a large scale.

Conclusion

Solar heat is an interesting arena to explore and could possibly become one of the greatest outcomes of solar energy advancements. Despite the technical potential, the actual implementation of solar heat is quite low. Policy makers need to invest their brain to achieve higher market penetration. To fight economic barriers, solar components can be dealt with local authorities, thus providing a mutually reinforcing strategy to support a healthy national industry.

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A Brief History Of Solar Energy

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Sun is the ultimate source of energy. All the processes natural process that occur on earth are directly or indirectly related to the sun. Even though humans knew the power of the sun from pre-historic ages, it was only a few centuries ago that humans have tried to capture this energy for domestic use. Today solar energy is the most widely researched arena when it comes to renewables, but it was never the same in the past. Solar panels have gone through a transformation to be at the position it is today. It is easy to forget that solar energy had a completely different meaning just two decades ago. To understand the journey let’s explore its important timelines throughout history of solar energy.

Year 1767: Swiss scientist Horace de Saussure was credited for successfully inventing the world’s first solar collector. This was a great breakthrough and led the foundation of today’s solar energy technology. Later a traveler named  Sir John Herschel used the concept of the solar collector to cook food during his south African expedition and thus began the domestic use of solar energy.

Year 1839: Nearly a half decade later, a French scientist Edmond Becquerel discovered the photoelectric effect while experimenting with electrolyte cells made of metal electrodes placed in the electrically conducting solution. He observed that the generation of electricity saw an increase when the metals were exposed to sunlight. This effect is the principle on which the modern solar panel system work. The photoelectric effect is the emission of electrons or other free carriers when light hits a material. Electrons emitted in this manner can be called photoelectrons. The electrons when channelized can conduct electricity.

A Brief History Of Solar Energy

Year 1860: 1860s saw the invention of steam engines which used to run on coal. A French mathematician August Mouchet proposed an idea for solar-powered steam engines. Then he spent the next two decades working on that idea along with his assistant, Abel Pifre. In the year 1880s, they successfully built the first solar-powered engines and used them for a variety of applications. These solar powered engines became the foundation for today’s parabolic dish collectors.

A Brief History Of Solar Energy

Year 1873: Willoughby Smith discovered the photoconductivity of selenium.

Year 1876: William Grylls Adams and Richard Evans Day discovered that selenium conducts electricity when exposed to enough sunlight. The selenium cells were not efficient, but it was proved that light, without heat or moving parts, could be converted into electricity. This experiment proved that a solid material can be used to harness the limitless power of the sun.

Year 1883:   An American inventor and scientist named Charles Fritts, invented the first solar panels made from selenium wafers.

Year 1891: Baltimore inventor Clarence Kemp patented the first commercial solar water heater. 

A Brief History Of Solar Energy

Year 1905: Albert Einstein published a paper explaining the photoelectric effect. This explanation paved a way to use the principle in many new discoveries. Even with solar energy, the explanation of how light behaves with dual nature opened doors to experiment with new methods and materials.

Year 1908: William J. Bailley of the Carnegie Steel Company invented the world’s first commercial solar collector with copper coils. This design became widely famous after its release and is still used to design solar cookers and solar water heaters.

Year 1918: Polish scientist Jan Czochralski developed a way to manufacture single crystal silicon wafers. Since silicon is abundantly available on earth, this method was widely accepted by industrialists to manufacture solar energy panels and is used even today. This opened the door for solar energy to be used for domestic purposes. 

Year 1947:  After devasting power usage in world war 2, most of the countries were looking for alternative options to fulfill their energy needs. This accelerated the use of solar power and the demand for passive solar buildings surged.

Year 1954: In 1954 Photovoltaic technology is born in the United States when Daryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller, and Gerald Pearson develop the silicon photovoltaic (PV) cell at Bell Labs—the first solar cell capable of converting enough of the sun’s energy into power to run everyday electrical equipment. Bell Telephone Laboratories produced a silicon solar cell with 4% efficiency and later achieved 11% efficiency.

A Brief History Of Solar Energy

Year 1955: Western electric began commercially selling silicon PV technologies. This age also witnessed the revolution of electrical components. Many electrical companies began licensing their own silicon-based products. Early successful products included dollar bill changer and computer punch cards.

Year 1955: Architect Frank Bridgers designed world’s first building integrating solar water heater and passive design. The solar heater is continuously operating since then. It is registered as a historical landmark as the world’s first solar heated office building. 

Year 1956: U.S. signal laboratories approached Paul Rappaport and Joseph Loferski to discuss the possibilities of using solar energy panels in space applications and about developing special solar energy panels to be used in satellites orbiting around the earth.

A Brief History Of Solar Energy

Year 1957: Hoffman Electronics achieved 8% efficient photovoltaic cells.

Year 1970: Dr Elliot Berman, successfully designed the first affordable solar energy panel. It bought down the price of solar energy from 100$ per watt to 20$. Using solar energy for domestic use began to be viewed as a sensible option. Solar applications were started being used on off-shore activities like power navigation, offshore lights, powering horns, railroad lights, lighthouses etc. It became easier to provide electricity to remote places where the conventional electric sources were not affordable.

Year 1976: NASA began installing 83 solar power panels on every continent except Australia. These solar energy panels delivered electricity to a variety of appliances including medical refrigerators, room lighting, clinic lighting, television communication, grinding and classroom lighting.

Year 1981: Paul MacCready built the first successful solar-powered aircraft. In its first voyage, it traveled from England to France crossing the British channel. The aircraft was designed by mounting around 16,000 solar cells on its wings, producing around 3000 watts of power. The design was inspired by solar cells powering the space crafts in space.

A Brief History Of Solar Energy

Year 1986: The world’s largest solar thermal facility was inaugurated in California. The solar project consists of thousands of rows of mirror concentrating on a  system of pipes circulating the water. The heat is used to evaporate the water to convert it into steam. This heat is used to run turbines to produce electricity. California is the largest of nine such plants built in the 1980s. During operation, oil in the receiver tubes collects the concentrated solar energy as heat and is pumped to a power block located at the power plant for generating electricity.

Year 1992: the University of Florida, developed the first thin photovoltaic cell made from cadmium telluride with 16% efficiency, breaking the barrier of 15% first time in solar technology.

Year 1999: Spectrolab, Inc. and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory develop a photovoltaic solar cell that converts 32.3 percent of the sunlight that hits it into electricity. The high conversion efficiency was achieved by combining three layers of photovoltaic materials into a single solar cell. The cell performed most efficiently when it received sunlight concentrated to 50 times normal. To use such cells in practical applications, the cell is mounted in a device that uses lenses or mirrors to concentrate sunlight onto the cell. Such “concentrator” systems are mounted on tracking systems that keep them pointed toward the sun.

Year 1999: Cumulative worldwide solar energy generation capacity crossed 1000 megawatts mark.

Year 2000:  Sandia National Laboratories develops a solar inverter designed specially to store solar energy. This invention solved the problem of solar energy been not available during night time. Inverters are devices which converts direct current into alternating current, which is standard current for household wiring and for the power lines that supply electricity to homes.

Year 2001: TerraSun LLC develops a unique method of mass producing solar panels. The typical solar cells use Fresnel lenses or mirrors to concentrate sunlight. But TerraSun LLC used holographic optics which allowed a more selective use of sunlight, allowing only those frequency to pass which is used in generating electricity. Allowing unnecessary frequencies to filter out.

Year 2016: Scientists have overcome a design flaw of solar panels by allowing them to collect energy in both the rain and sun. Now, almost any home can install solar panels. So even if you live in a rainy area, you can use solar panels to produce electricity for your home. This innovation could change renewable energy completely.

Year 2018: Alta Devices, a company which specializes in manufacturing of gallium-arsenide PV solar panels, claimed to have achieved a solar conversion efficiency of 29%.

A Brief History Of Solar Energy

Conclusion

The current technological roadmaps are laid in such a way that by 2050, most countries would be only partially reliable on fossil fuels and all major applications would be run on power generated by solar energy. With the government pushing various policies and the rise of public awareness has increased the number of people adopting solar energy for both domestic and commercial use. As the solar panel increases its efficiency to match the conventional energy sources, people all over the world would install those panels. The way solar technology is evolving, it is not too much to hope for a better and cleaner future.

 

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How To Combine Solar and Geothermal Energy Sources?

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We discuss a lot about solar energy and why not? Currently, it is the only hope for humanity in terms of energy resources. But is unfair to not discuss other renewable energies. Yes, other renewables are currently not as human-friendly as solar energy but they are surely making progress. When it comes to switching to renewables, homeowners always prefer solar energy panels. They are effective when powering appliances like fan, TV, cooler and other household appliances. Heating, on the other hand, requires additional energy which is beyond the capacity of solar energy panels a homeowner has installed.

So instead of making a substantial investment to add additional power generator in your solar panels, you have alternatives. One such alternative is Geothermal energy. When you pair a geothermal system with your solar energy panels, you could enjoy the benefits of both. A combined system has a variety of advantages which cannot be harnessed individually.

Before we begin telling you how you can combine these two systems, lets first understand what is geothermal energy.

What is Geothermal Energy?

In layman’s term, geothermal energy is the heat from the earth. It’s clean and renewable. Resources of geothermal energy range from shallow groundwater to hot water and hard rocks found at the bottom of the earth’s crust.

Hot dry rocks occur at a depth of 5000m to 8000m everywhere beneath the earth’s surface and at lesser depths at certain areas. Access to these resources involves injecting cold water down one well and circulating it around the hot rocks and pumping out hot water from another well. 

What is Geothermal Heat Pump?

Geothermal heat pumps (GHP’s) also known as ground-source heat pumps can be used to circulate both hot and cold water to or from the ground.

Geothermal pumps can be used irrespective of weather condition because of the earth’s constant temperature below the earth’s surface. 

How To Combine Solar and Geothermal Energy Sources?

Why Homeowners Should Combine Solar and Geothermal system?

A geothermal heat pump circulates cold water through the pipes deep below the ground. The liquid absorbs heat from the hot fractured rocks and returns to the pump at the surface level. Allowing you to obtain a clean, renewable and eco-friendly source of energy. But one disadvantage of the geothermal pump is that it runs on electricity and therefore we cannot call it a 100% eco-friendly option.

But if you coupled a geothermal pump with the solar PV system, your solar panels could generate electricity for your geothermal heat pump at a relatively lower cost. When these two systems work coherently, a homeowner can reach new heights of efficiency, reducing both the environmental impact and energy expenses.

In terms of energy savings , this combined system will save almost 80% of energy on hot water, cold water and air-conditioning. Recent advancement in solar and geothermal technologies has given birth to the new smaller heat pumps like mini split systems.

Mini-split systems are a newer and advanced level of geothermal heat pumps which allow a homeowner to heat or cool only selected rooms. This selective approach is less expensive than a centralized system since most homeowners prefer conditioning only specific rooms.

Given the benefits of this combined system, many homeowners are preferring this system. But at the same time, if you are planning to install this hybrid energy system, you need to take a strategic approach. Here is what you need to do when opting for both solar and geothermal combined system. 

How To Combine Solar and Geothermal Energy Sources?

How Can Homeowners Use a Combined System?

If you are planning to own a renewable energy system, you should probably start with the geothermal system. We know solar is the most popular option but solar panel installation will be much effective if you plan to combine the systems. Many homeowners who choose to invest in a combined system start with a geothermal heat pump. In doing so, they can immediately reduce their heating and cooling costs while getting a feel for renewable energy. Once they have a little more history on their actual electrical usage, they purchase solar panels.

If you purchase solar panels before the geothermal installation, you may need to carry out some extra expenses. You will require far less energy with solar panel once you install the geothermal system. If you are planning to combine these systems, we advise you to install a geothermal pump first.

We know that these suggestions may become irrelevant if you already have a solar panel installation in place. The status of your roof is also crucial, we advise you to repair the rooftop before you move forward with the combined system.

Many homeowners are concerned with the one-time cost that comes with installing these two options in a combined system. The government has already accounted for the expenses of solar energy panels, adoption of geothermal will give you more tax benefits, making them more accessible.

In short, we advise you to carefully weigh all the options before you decide to combine these options. If you are careful about how you implement these changes, we are sure that you will end up making some excellent financial benefits and your transformation to these combined systems will be as smooth as possible. We just recommend you to explore in great detail before you dive into action. 

How To Combine Solar and Geothermal Energy Sources?

Step By Step Procedure to Incorporate Geothermal and Solar panel system correctly in your home 

1. Ensure a Tight Thermal Envelope: 

A home with a tight thermal envelope will ensure the highest efficiency for this system. The most important thing is to have the right type of insulation. Which is measured by the R-value. The R-value is the resistance offered by the insulation for thermal changes. Foam and cellulose insulation are the most popular ones maintaining zero air tolerance. There are different sealant options to prevent air leaks around your home. We suggest using spray foam, caulk, or weather stripping (depending on what structure you\’re sealing) for windows, walls, fireplaces, etc. Making the home airtight and investing in the right insulation is the first step in creating the perfect environment for high efficiencies and optimum performance for home heating and cooling.

2. Install your geothermal system: 

If you insulate your home correctly with proper air sealers, the size of your geothermal pump will decrease considerably. Since geothermal pumps use solar energy to heat and cool, they require much less energy to operate, saving you money in the end and ultimately make your home free from electrical utilities. geothermal drops the peak electric demand in summer months by at least 30 per cent, allowing for more of the national base load to be generated by renewable energies. Installing a geothermal system before PV solar will lower the energy demand in your home, which reduces the number of panels needed or creates a bigger budget to help power other parts of your home.

3. Installing Solar energy panels:

Since you have an airtight home, with good insulation, you have dropped the energy demands required by your home and hence the size of your solar PV system will be much smaller. If by chance you end up making more energy then required, contact your local utility company about the net metering offer. When installing a solar panel system, you need to consider many options like the size of the solar system, the area your rooftop avails, where your solar panels will be located, is ground mounting an option (If roof space is limited), Where is the least shaded spot on your roof or ground that will give optimal direct sunlight? Being aware of these questions will help you achieve 100% solar coverage and no utility bills…saving money, rewarding renewable investments, and helping improve comfort in your home (or building).  

The Efficiency of a Combined System 

The best thing about this combined system is its efficiency. The geothermal pump will perform best in the months of October to December, while solar energy panels perform their peak during the March to June. These weird peak values complement each other perfectly to give you a efficient energy system, ensuring that consumers will benefit throughout the year from this combination. 

Benefits of a Combined Energy System 

This combination of two renewables will definitely offer great value to the amount of money spent. Whereas it will deliver superior performance compared to your traditional utilities. Here are some of the benefits of this combined system

  • Can provide full-scale heating even in the winter season
  • Provide air-conditioning during the summer season at a very low cost compared to the HVAC systems
  • Ensure flexibility in terms of how much heat is generated. Since the temperature of rocks remain the same irrespective of the surface weather condition and hence the geothermal’s pump output will not be affected.
  • In the summer, the ground source heat pump would discard the excess of heat produced by the solar collectors and store a part of it for the winter.

Conclusion

As you move forward with these suggestions, you will discover a lot of new things along the way. You can take full advantage of this system if you know what exactly you are doing. Review your options and if you already have a dealer don\’t hesitate to  ask them any questions pertaining to the system.

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11 Interesting Facts about Solar Energy You Should Know

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Sun is a brilliant star shining from 4.6 billion years. But it was only a few decades ago, that humans were able to capture the benefits of this non-polluting renewable source. With the rising dangers of global warming and environment, harnessing solar energy has become vital for human existence. With rising fossil fuel consumption, the non-renewable energy sources are depleting at an alarming rate. Solar being an abundant source of energy is one of the brilliant alternatives available today. Sunlight is virtually necessary for all the processes occurring on our planet. From generating winds, transpiration in plants to producing electrical energy through solar panels, sunlight is harnessed both naturally and artificially. It is no doubt that solar energy is useful, but still we have a long way to go before we efficiently harness this source. Constant efforts are being made by the government, scientists and various solar companies to use sunlight to fulfill our daily demand. Here are 11 most interesting facts about solar energy that can make you realize the potential of this resource –
  1. Sunlight is a completely free source of energy and can be used in abundance. Solar cells absorb sunlight of a particular wavelength and convert it into electrical energy through the photovoltaic effect. Electrons present in solar panels interact with photons present in sunlight at an atomic level. The resulting effect is that it releases a loosely bound electron which is captured and utilized to generate electricity.
  2. Solar technology can be primarily distinguished into two categories based on their application. One is active technology which comes in the form of solar panels and solar thermal conductors. Another form is passive technology, which uses solar energy to improve air circulation and orienting space to optimize the use of sunlight.
  3. Sun has the major responsibility of maintaining the accurate water cycle on earth. When solar energy hits the earth, the surface water from the sea and oceans gets heated up and vaporizes to form clouds. These clouds cause rain that brings back the water to the earth’s surface completing the water cycle.
  4. The distance between the earth and the sun is approximately 149 million kilometers. It takes sunlight about 8 minutes and 20 seconds to reach earth. In a single hour, the amount of solar energy striking the earth is enough to produce energy consumed by the world in a whole year. Each hour 480 Quintilian joules of energy is received by the earth. That is 18 zeros after 480! In comparison, humans consume around 410 Quintilian joules of energy per year.
  5. Solar panels are mostly made up of silicon-based materials; it is the most commonly used material in domestic solar panels. The efficiency of solar panels is a measurement of the amount of sunlight a solar panel can convert into usable electricity. The highest efficiency of solar panels we have achieved is about 23%. But the average efficiency of domestic solar panels falls between the ranges of 15-18%.
  6. Solar energy can be used in agriculture to power various processes. This application of solar is considered a prominent one in countries like India. As India is the land of villages, reliance on solar energy can help farmers to save money and avoid pollution. Agriculture uses solar both in a natural and artificial form. Naturally, farmers time their crops based on the season and availability of light and water. Artificially, solar power can be used to pump water for irrigation crops and powering equipment. Solar technologies can provide light, heat and ventilation for livestock and farmhouses.
  7. The majority of solar panels are systematically connected to the electricity grid. When your panels produce excess solar energy, the energy is supplied back into the grid. When your panels produce less than the required amount of solar energy, you can draw back the energy from the power grid. This process is known as net metering.
  8. The boom of solar energy in the last couple of decades has given rise to another technology: Solar Batteries, that can store extra energy produced by your solar panels. Installing a solar battery in your solar panel will avoid the unnecessary task of transferring excess solar energy to the power grid. In practical terms, you store the excess energy at your home and avoid the distribution loss occurred during transmission.
  9. Solar panels have a minimum of 20-25 years of life cycle. There are no dynamic parts involved and hence there are no recurring costs. This doesn’t mean that they become useless after 25 years. After that solar panels can be replaced with more developed technologies thus improving efficiency. Also, the house on which a panel is mounted will receive leverage when sold in the market. Homes with solar technologies tend to receive more value than non-solar based homes.
  10. Researchers are trying to replicate photosynthesis artificially. This is an attempt to replace fossil fuels with solar chemicals to make solar energy portable and storable. This is done by placing a photo-anode and a counter electrode in water-filled vessel. The photo-anode absorbs the sunlight and force the water to split into hydrogen and oxygen. This process is known as photoelectrolysis. This process doesn’t involve solar cells. Technology for producing hydrogen is a major aspect of chemical solar research.
  11. In the case of natural havoc, solar PV system is the fastest to deploy. A functioning solar energy plant can be built in a matter of weeks. No other renewable or non-renewable facility could be deployed in such a short span of time. This ability could empower us to better prepare for the climatic havocs that may hit us in the future.

Solar energy facts in a nutshell

Sun is a continuous beaming source of energy. It is out in the open and the only limitation we have is our will power to use this ball of fire to its maximum potential. With climate change happening rapidly, the adoption to this renewable source will decide how we function as humanity. As of now only a fraction amount of energy demand is fulfilled by solar energy, but the future promises are just mind-blowing.

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