Solar Energy Demand

[Toney69]

Sun is the best source of inexhaustible and clean energy. Conventionally, the world has been dependent on fossil fuels to fulfill its energy demands. With many advanced technologies getting introduced in the field of solar energy, investments in the sector has seen a rapid rise.

[B][URL="http://www.worldenergyresearch.com/"]Solar energy investments[/URL][/B] have seen a steep rise. In 2007, the total installed capacity of photovoltaic devices was 8.7 GW. Solar cell production increased by 50% that year to 3,800 megawatts, and has been doubling every two years. The cost of solar energy, which has gone down 71% since 1980, will continue to drop as demand increases and more production capability becomes available.

The major ways of tapping the solar energy are the Solar Power Plant or by using PV or Photovoltaic Cells, also known as Solar Cells. In solar power plant, the solar radiations are deflected using mirrors into a small space, say a pipe filled with a fluid. The rise in temperature of the fluid can be then used to boil water and produce steam for conventional generator.

[Patton Ward]

Greetings to everyone!

Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available renewable energy on earth. Only a minuscule fraction of the available solar energy is used.

Solar powered electrical generation relies on heat engines and photovoltaics. Solar energy's uses are limited only by human ingenuity. A partial list of solar applications includes space heating and cooling through solar architecture, potable water via distillation and disinfection, day lighting, solar hot water, solar cooking, and high temperature process heat for industrial purposes.To harvest the solar energy, the most common way is to use solar panels.

Solar technologies are broadly characterized as either passive solar or active solar depending on the way they capture, convert and distribute solar energy. Active solar techniques include the use of photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors to harness the energy. Passive solar techniques include orienting a building to the Sun, selecting materials with favorable thermal mass or light dispersing properties, and designing spaces that naturally circulate air.

[dextercath96]

Hello guys, Yes I agree that solar power is rapidly rising. Because of continuous support of our producers and investors. I would like to give me an idea to build up solar equipments, especially solar generator.

[gthurnball]

There has been some exciting movement on Solar Power Tower technogy recently. This article gives a good overview:
[url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_tower]Solar power tower - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/url]

[sueerassmus]

Beware of Solar Panel Thieves!

Check out this article:

Foiling Solar Bandits
By JIM WITKIN
As I reported last month, the solar power industry racked up another year of steady expansion in 2009. But a less sunny side of the industry also continues to boom: solar panel theft.

In just the last two weeks, thieves have struck two schools in the San Francisco area removing about $50,000 worth of panels and related equipment.

Since we last reported on this problem in 2008, the theft of solar panels from homes and commercial buildings has increased at about the same pace as installed megawatts.

SolarInsure, a national brokerage firm that specializes in theft insurance for renewable energy systems, reported a 17 percent uptick in claims nationwide in 2009 from the previous year. Ara Agopian, SolarInsure’s president, said the firm will no longer write insurance for an installation that doesn’t have a security measure in place.

California has the highest number of installed solar power systems, and not surprisingly, saw the biggest percentage increase (26 percent) in theft claims last year, according to SolarInsure’s statistics.

Fortunately as the industry matures, so have the available security solutions.

For example, GridLock Solar Security, a year-old start-up based in Santa Rosa, Calif., is offering a security product that connects each solar panel in the array through a circuit to a main security unit. If the circuit is disrupted as a panel is removed, an alarm will sound, and the system will call the local police. Tim Brown, GridLock’s president, is reporting a steady increase in demand since the product was introduced last year.

Meanwhile, the Silicon Valley start-up Tigo Energy has developed a security feature as an add-on to their existing product, which is used to monitor and increase the electrical output of solar power systems.

A chip embedded in the panel communicates wirelessly with a central monitoring unit. If this communication is interrupted, the panel is automatically deactivated and the system sends out alerts.

The deactivated panel cannot be brought online in another location without a special security code. The feature, which the company’s marketing manger, Jim Bickford, is likening to “OnStar for solar power systems” is to be released next month.

Recognizing the problem, a Napa Valley congressman, Mike Thompson, has written a provision into the Solar Technology Roadmap Act that would create a national registry for solar panel serial numbers to deter theft. The bill has passed the House and is currently in the Senate.

[littlegreenfairy]

Here is an interesting article about a solar project in California:

University announces upcoming solar energy array
Thursday, June 17, 2010 at 2:00:00 AM - by Nate Lew
California has long been one of the nation's leaders in solar energy, and its university system is playing a prominent role in that effort.

In a recent announcement, California State University at Bakersfield reported that it has broken ground on a solar energy project that will provide for up to 30 percent of its energy needs. The project is expected to be complete at the end of the summer.

The effort is said to be part of a private-public partnership between the state's 15 CSU campuses that will see a variety of solar projects completed.

This particular photovoltaic project will generate about 1 megawatt of electricity while also providing shade to about 500 parking spaces located in the south part of the campus. The project is expected to cost about $9.5 million, with SunEdison paying the costs and selling the energy to the university at rates about 5 percent below their current level.

"We get 20 years of energy at a slightly lower rate and from a sustainable source," said university official Pat Jacobs. "We're doing something green for the environment, it helps the bottom line of the university, and I think people will enjoy having covered parking."

[rahinajoseph]

Hi..
Most of the world's energy resources are from the sun's rays hitting earth. Some of that energy has been preserved as fossil energy, some is directly or indirectly usable; for example, via wind, hydro- or wave power. The term solar constant is the amount of incoming solar electromagnetic radiation per unit area, measured on the outer surface of Earth's atmosphere, in a plane perpendicular to the rays. The solar constant includes all types of solar radiation, not just visible light.In 2008, total worldwide energy consumption was 474 exajoules (474×1018 J) with 80 to 90 percent derived from the combustion of fossil fuels.[1] This is equivalent to an average power consumption rate of 15 terawatts (1.504×1013 W). Not all of the world's economies track their energy consumption with the same rigor, and the exact energy content of a barrel of oil or a ton of coal will vary with quality.

[anneparker786]

thanks for the information.