anim8er2 asked:


I have seen two types of solar panels made. Photo voltaic and water heating. Has anyone combined the two? Silicon cells are not 100% efficient, so why not capture the leftover heat as well? It may take a little engineering to do, but it should be pretty simple. That way, more of the sun’s energy could be captured for a given surface area.

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Ulquorria Schiffer asked:


Properties of solar panel?
I know this is too general,but i am to write a report on the materials used to make solar panels,and i am to include the physical, mechanical ,and chemical properties of the materials.
It’s just too general,such that i am lost.There are so many types of solar panels.So i hope some experts on this subject can give me a general guide lines ,maybe the tensile strength ?
as much as you can please.
I search throughout wikipedia and ould not get what i want,EXPERTS!come on!
typo error =could (not ould)

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EndlessMountain asked:


I was hearing that we need silver as a medal for the creation of solar panels, is this true? How much silver would be needed to make one solar panel? (if this is true)

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J P asked:


Senior Project - We’re trying to build a solar powered go kart. We have two 40Watt panels that are 15V each, and 5 Amps each. We are going to use two 12V batteries to run the motor. We want to charge these batteries using the panels, however we don’t know what type of charger we need. Where can we find a charger that is DC in and out? Any info will help Thanks in advance!
Is it better to get an altenator?

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Guest Author: Bharat Book Bureau


Report on US Solar Photovoltaic Market Analysis and Forecasts to 2013 Report ( http://www.bharatbook.com/Market-Research-Reports/Report-on-US-Solar-Photovoltaic-Market-Analysis-and-Forecasts-to-2013.html ) analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the leading Solar Photovoltaic companies in the US.

The US is the dominant Solar PV market in the world with the remarkable growth observed during the period 2001-08. The market has grown from 168 MW in 2001 to around 1,111 MW by the end of 2008. The unprecedented growth witnessed by this market is credited to the supportive policy framework of the federal and state governments for the Solar PV technology in collaboration with high-end solar investments by major companies like First Solar, Inc., Solar World AG. The other major reason for the growth can be credited to the state of California which has accounted for 70% of the PV installations in the country. Solar PV market in California has grown rapidly due to the strong policies favoring solar energy initiated by the state government. California has taken up specific campaigns like “Go Solar” encouraging solar power in the state thereby making it the leading solar power generator in the US.

The ongoing financial crisis will not make significant impact on the growth of solar PV industry in the US. The supportive economic incentive programs at federal and state level for solar PV and the extension of the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) program will boost the future development of the US solar PV and drive further investments into the sector. The extension of ITC means that the states in the US can now ramp up efforts like solar loan programs and renewable portfolio standards (RPS) in a big way. This would spark the US solar industry’s move towards more efficient panels and lower costs. In this backdrop, the annual solar PV installations in the country are expected to increase from 280 MW in 2008 to 1515 MW by 2013. The cumulative solar PV installed capacity is expected to reach 5,293 MW by 2013. However, the credit crunch in the US is likely to affect the small players in the solar market who will be finding it difficult to compete given the credit crunch. As a result, the small scale solar companies are expected to be swallowed by the big giants thus leading to consolidation of the US solar industry.



Policies Boosting Grid-Connectivity

The Grid-connected solar PV escalated from 31% of cumulative solar PV installations in 2001 to 61% by 2008. The key to the increase in share of on-grid capacity is mainly due to the incentives provided by the federal and state governments like the Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), Feed-in tariff, California Solar Initiative etc. The Cumulative on-grid solar PV accounted for 677 MW in 2008 of which the state of California alone accounts for 468 MW. The other major states with the high cumulative installed capacity are New Jersey (63MW), Nevada (27 MW), Arizona (27 MW), New York (21 MW) and Colorado (21 MW). The states of Michigan announced an ambitious plan popularly known as “45-by-20″ target. As part of this plan the state pledged to have 45% of the electricity to be generated by renewable energy by 2020. Washington State introduced a new feed-in tariff program for the development of renewable energy.



The Growth in the US Solar PV Cell Market

The Solar PV cell production in the US has seen a steady increase in volume over the last five years. The US PV cell production has grown from 100 MW in 2001 to reach over 300 MW by 2008 at a CAGR of 15%. The cell production companies in the US are focusing on the next wave of solar PV technologies. Currently, the US accounts for approximately two thirds of global thin-film production. First Solar, Inc. is the leader in terms of solar cell production with the US market share of 40% with a cell production capacity of 140 MW in 2008 followed by United Solar Ovonic, LLC (17%) with 60 MW capacity and Solar World (10%) with 35 MW capacity. Other companies like BP Solar (the US), Evergreen Solar and Schott Solar GmbH have also made their presence felt in the US solar cell market.



The growth in cumulative installed capacity of solar PV with supportive economic incentive programs at federal and state level. This along with increase of activity in cell production signals strong growth prospects of the solar industry in the US.



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VEGETA asked:


Solar panels are costly.Do you know any inexpensive way?

So that i can make one of my own.

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lovesmcdsicecoffee asked:


We recently received a quote from a FAFCO dealer for FIVE 12′ x 4′ solar panels for our 12′ x 25′ pool. I thought it was a bit much. Do we really need that many?
1,014 BTU/ft2

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ANTHONY M asked:


For instance, solar panels on the roof could give much needed energy to take some stress off of the car battery. And also, what about wind power? When driving down the highway, wouldn’t it be possible to use some of that wind resistance for power? Any thoughts on this?

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Guest Author: Ryan Kaufman


In rural areas, particularly in places where utility power is not available, solar panels are the answer. Irrespective of where electrical power is needed, be it for a mountain top cabin, a cruising sailboat or a family home, there is a solar system to fill the needs. We will delve into the details on how do solar panels work.

Solar panels harvest the sun’s energy to produce electricity to power lights and appliances or for any use that requires electrical power.

Solar photovoltaic cells are arranged in a grid-like pattern on the surface of the solar panel. These solar voltaic cells collect sunlight during the day and convert it into energy. Energy is created when sunlight strikes the solar panels crystals and causes some electrons to break loose.

The amount of power produced depends largely on the quality of the solar panels and the technology in making it. Panels of special semiconductors like silicon convert the sun’s energy directly into electricity.

Of the three main types of solar panels available, monocrystalline panels have the highest output per cell area and are the most expensive. Polycrystalline cells are slightly less expensive. Thin film type, though considered unbreakable, are only half as efficient per cell area.

We are now moving closer to harnessing the full potential of solar energy, but much has still to be done in terms of research to make it cost-efficient before it can be used on a widespread basis. The advantages of using solar panels to harvest the energy of the sun for general household use will dramatically cut electric bills and reduce pollution.

Solar modules are used to harness solar energy. These modules can be customized to cater for different power generation needs. On a commercial basis, the modules of crystalline silicon is the most efficient available. These modules are designed in complete packages for residential, commercial and industrial purposes.

Solar panels in the past have been of silicon but as silicon is becoming more expensive, research have turned to other materials. Lately, a whole new type of solar panel is produced. They are made of plastic and the price is comparatively cheap. These plastic panels work just as well to power just about any appliance that is used in a home out in a remote location.

Solar panels are mostly placed on the roof. The power generated is transmitted to a battery for storage and household power needs are drawn from this storage.

Solar energy is also most suitable for heating water for household use, swimming pools and hot tubs. The best thing about solar power is that it does not release harmful emissions or effluents leading to global warming, acid rains and smog .

Research and competition is slowly bringing down the price of solar panels. Solar panels used to be popular in rural areas but now the scenario is changing and solar power is fast entering the urban areas. When , one day , the use of solar energy for household use becomes a common practice , power companies will have to decrease rates to the benefit of everybody irrespective of whether the household uses solar panels or not .

If you are thinking of installing solar panels for your home use , ensure that your property have good access to sunlight . Be prepared also to spend in the region of more than $ 20,000. This may look expensive but it will save you a lot in the long run .

The utility of solar panels is great. Having solar panels installed to your home, you can live anywhere even in rural areas without foregoing the conveniences of the city and without having to install expensive electrical line extensions from noisy generators.

With electricity immediately available, you can enjoy all the facilities you would have enjoyed in your urban home, with an added bonus of being free from noise and pollution through the use of solar panels.



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Ulquorria Schiffer asked:


If you were to be asked to write a material(s) report on either
-solar panels
or
-aircraft fuselage
Which would you choose?

well i was asked to choose between these two,so i guess that if i choose what the majority wouldn’t, i might just score a little bit higher,what do you think?if you are the lecturer you would want something different right?

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