Why install a solar battery? Batteries allow you to store solar energy and reduce your dependence on the grid. In turn, you use more solar power and fewer fossil fuels! How do solar batteries work? Most solar panel systems are connected to the grid and still rely on grid energy when they are producing below […]
So, what is the deal with all black-solar panels? Most solar panel manufacturing companies now have an all-black model, which is becoming more and more popular with customers. However, many people get confused about the difference between the two, and don’t know which type of panel is better for their home.
Definitions Before we dive into all the inverter details, here is a little refresher on how solar panels work. To generate electricity, sunlight shines on a panel and this panel converts the solar energy into DC current. This current flows to the inverter where the it converts DC current to AC current. Your home uses […]
Many recent studies and reports have pointed to the continued rise in popularity in the future of solar power. A report called Energy Goes Green interviewed 100 CFOs of oil and gas companies and found that 38% of these CFOs believe that solar power will be the leading alternative energy source by 2023. The report demonstrated that these CFOs recognize solar energy as an important opportunity for their business. Solar is not only cheaper than traditional oil or gas, but it is also easier to generate solar energy once the infrastructure is built. Additionally, because of increased demand and better technology, the cost of installing solar power systems has decreased. For these reasons, many of these energy companies plan on implementing solar power as a part of their business.
However, these companies aren’t planning to switch to 100% renewables anytime soon. They face many roadblocks. For example building new infrastructure is expensive. Also, there are currently high tariffs on imported materials used to build solar panels. But, these CFOs do recognize that consumer demand and new technology will continue to lower the cost of solar energy, and they are willing to adapt to renewable energy sources as long as they stay in demand and the prices stay low. This is a big step, considering that these companies are currently 100% focused on fossil fuels.
More evidence of the future of energy prices is outlined by a study reported in the Joule Journal. This study found that increasing the US energy bundle to 90% renewables by 2050 would be cheaper than keeping energy consumption as it is. Currently, the average cost of electricity in the US is 13 cents per kilowatt hour. This rate is even higher in Massachusetts and Rhode Island (21 cents and 18.6 cents respectively). The new energy bundle that is 90% renewable would cost about 3.6 cents per kilowatt hour.
Currently, the demand for renewable energy is continuing to grow as fossil fuel consumption falls in the United States. According to the latest EIA report, this April renewable energy provided 25.7% of the total electricity produced in the US. As of this April, fossil fuels contributed a smaller percentage of total electricity than renewable energy, contributing only 22% compared to 25.7% from renewables.
So, the future is bright for solar! Evidence shows that renewable energy consumption is rising, and prices are falling as compared to fossil-fueled powered energy. Even large oil and gas companies recognize this trend as a business opportunity. So, now is a great time to make the investment in solar panels to continue the energy transition!
What is the largest indicator that a given house will have solar panels? It is not what you may think! According a study done by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, geographical distance from a house with solar panels is the largest indicator of if a given house will have solar panels. This means […]
We all know that solar power is clean and environmentally friendly. But how exactly do your solar panels help the earth? Here are six ways that solar energy benefits the environment:
1. Solar panels do not emit any carbon dioxide while producing energy
Solar energy works by capturing the sun’s energy and turning it into electricity to your home or business.
Our sun is a natural nuclear reactor. It releases tiny packets of energy called photons. Every hour, enough photons impact our planet to generate enough solar energy to theoretically satisfy global energy needs for an entire year.
Solar technology is improving and the cost of going solar is affordable, so our ability to harness the sun’s abundance of energy is on the rise especially here in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.
A 2017 report from the International Energy Agency shows that solar has become the world’s fastest-growing source of power – marking the first time that solar energy’s growth has surpassed that of all other fuels. In the coming years, we will all be enjoying the benefits of solar-generated electricity in one way or another.
When photons hit a solar cell, they knock electrons loose from their atoms. If conductors are attached to the positive and negative sides of a cell, it forms an electrical circuit. When electrons flow through such a circuit, they generate electricity. Multiple cells make up a solar panel, and multiple panels (modules) can be wired together to form a solar array. The more panels you can deploy, the more energy you can expect to generate.
What are Solar Panels Made of?
You’ll hear words like (PV) which stands for Photovoltaic solar panels which are made up of many solar cells. Solar cells are made of silicon, like semiconductors. They are constructed with a positive layer and a negative layer, which together create an electric field, just like in a battery.
How Do Solar Panels Generate Electricity?
PV solar panels generate direct current (DC) electricity. With DC electricity, electrons flow in one direction around a circuit.
With AC (alternating current) electricity, electrons are pushed and pulled, periodically reversing direction, much like the cylinder of a car’s engine. Generators create AC electricity when a coil of wire is spun next to a magnet. Many different energy sources can “turn the handle” of this generator, such as gas or diesel fuel, hydroelectricity, nuclear, coal, wind, or solar.
Sunlight hits a solar panel on the roof, the panels convert the energy to DC current, which flows to an inverter. The inverter converts the electricity from DC to AC, which you can then use to power your home. It’s simple and clean, and it’s getting more efficient and affordable all the time.
A typical grid-tied PV system, during peak daylight hours, frequently produces more energy than one customer needs, so that excess energy is fed back into the grid for use elsewhere. The customer gets credit/paid for the excess energy produced, and can use that credit to draw from the conventional grid at night or on cloudy days.
By Mary C. Serreze
February 2018
Read the original article Here
It’s been a busy year for clean energy in the state and region, and the months ahead promise yet more challenges and opportunities.
A new solar incentive program will go into effect in 2018, providing tariff-based payments instead of production credits. Utilities will firm up contracts to procure massive amounts of clean energy from offshore wind, Canadian hydro and other sources. Greater commitments to reducing emissions from the transportation sector are expected, and innovative pilot programs are helping homes and businesses transform their energy profiles.
In 2017, Massachusetts saw major solar gains, with more than 10,000 projects installed, representing around 480 megawatts of new capacity. The clean energy sector contributed $11.4 billion to the state’s economy, providing jobs for more than 109,000 people at 6,900 establishments, according to the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. Statewide job growth in the clean energy sector has jumped 80 percent since 2010.
The 2008 Global Warming Solutions Act requires that all sectors of the Massachusetts economy reduce emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. In 2016, the state lost a landmark lawsuit filed by climate activists, and the state’s highest court ordered the Department of Environmental Protection to implement the law.
By Steve White
August 9, 2017
Read the original article Here
While fairgoers seek the shade, the sun will help power this year’s Nebraska State Fair.
Solar panels are being installed this week, on the south side of the Nebraska Building, near the Game and Parks exhibit.
“You’re going to see about 25 kilowatts, which is roughly 90 solar panels,” said Jason Olberding of J-Tech Solar.
Olberding says his company agreed to put the panels in at no cost to the fair. It’s a welcome addition to a fair that strives to be the most innovative in the country.
The Fair’s facilities director Jaime Parr said, “I do see the solar panels as a great fit for the State Fair. They do touch on our technology needs as well as sustainability, environmental efforts.”
the fair has taken steps to go green, and is certified for keeping nearly everything from going to the landfill.
Parr said, “We do tons of waste diversion at the State Fair. We are a three-time zero waste event, so looking for number four this year.”
They also have a sustainability pavilion, that J-Tech will sponsor, featuring a monitor showing solar power’s impact.
“That will show us how much power is real time live being generated from the solar panels,” Parr said.
Olberding said the screens will “Talk about the footprint, carbon footprint it’s saving, how many computers it could run.”
This installation’s not enough to power even one building at the fair, but Jason says it shows what can be done on a typical home.
“It would take all of a home’s bill away for a month, for an average ranch home, plus some,” he said.
And it’s estimated to save the fair a few thousand dollars in utility bills.
Parr said, “The hope is that it will supply about 15% of the power to the Nebraska Building throughout the year.”
Located near the main entrance to the fair, hundreds of thousands of visitors will pass by and learn something on their way to eat corn dogs and funnel cakes.
Olberding said, “It’s a great place to bring awareness to what we talk about every day.”
J-Tech has a ten-year agreement with the Fair.
Want a quick intro to solar panels and how solar energy works? Check out our updated video page for a breakdown on this booming source of renewable energy!
By Danica Bergmann