When the are briefly explained one begins to see that solar cells are not that complex, in fact there operation is a quite simple process.  The visible sun light shines onto silicon plates which convert the light into separate parts, positive and negative.  Knowing this we can look at solar cells as nothing more that batteries that require sunlight to produce electricity.  The only difference between solar cells and batteries such as AA-cells is the inter working reaction that produces the usable electricity.

To further understand, we must first answer “What is Electricity”??  Real simply, it is the ability for electricity (current) to flow between positive and negative (just as a river would flow from a higher elevation to lower one).  Just as a flowing river has a current that could carry an object down stream or turn a wheel partially submersed, the current in terms of electricity can power objects such as light bulbs iPods or just about anything put into its stream of current between +positive and -negative.  This is only a basic understanding of electricity, but it will do well for understanding solar cells.

Now lets talk solar cells.  Solar cells use two Specially created silicon wafers that are placed (stacked) one on top of the other. When these silicon wafers are struck by sunlight, within the silicon, electrons begin to break free, and if the top wafer and the bottom wafer are connected by metal, such as wire, the electrons begin to flow as current from one to the other.  As we learned from a moving stream, this flow of current can be used to power electrical items.  That is it, not that difficult.  Understand that this is a very simplified breakdown of the operation of solar cells, by searching RenergyCafe.com for solar cells will produce more in depth articles.

Solar energy can be seen at work all over the word in very common places,  highways, houses, cars and gardens.  As this amazing technology improves, it can be expected that it will be seen more and more in our everyday life.

Though the fountain water now runs clear, Obama can make the White House itself permanently “green” by bringing Jimmy Carter’s solar panels back. With oil prices again on the rise and energy legislation pending in Congress, now is the time for Obama to highlight the importance of renewable energy to power our economy, curb the emission of climate changing greenhouse gases, and reduce our dependence on imported fuel.

President Carter had solar panels installed on the White House roof in 1977, the same year he established the Department of Energy in response to the oil embargo four years earlier which highlighted America’s dependence on foreign energy.  The energy generated from the solar panels powered the water heaters located in the White House residence.

There was barely enough time to draw a warm bath before President Reagan removed the solar panels after taking office in 1980 (most of the panels were subsequently acquired by Unity College in Maine, where they now, see more, provide hot water for the cafeteria) see more.  The early 1980s were not a particularly promising time for solar energy.  Solar tax deductions introduced by Carter were not renewed during this period and the Solar Energy Research Institute had its budget slashed by almost eighty percent.

Solar energy was quietly reintroduced to the White House grounds in 2002. Small scale panels were installed on a maintenance building to provide electricity and hot water.  A solar energy system was also installed on the White House cabana to heat President Bush’s pool and spa.  The panels were placed out of plain view and the White House issued no press releases on the installations.  There was scant media coverage (see more) of the solar energy systems and what little coverage there was came about six months after the installations were completed.

Obama should take the opposite approach.  Solar panels should be placed conspicuously on the White House roof to draw attention to his cap-and-trade plan, which has attracted opposition in Congress across party lines, and the critical need for a clean energy revolution.

Obama should also use this opportunity to showcase 21st century clean energy technology and current research initiatives in the renewable power sector. Solar energy alone has come a long way from the 500 kilowatts produced worldwide when panels were first installed at the White House in 1977. Global production of solar energy now generates over 2,500 megawatts (see more) of renewable power to fuel a cleaner world economy.  There is no need to wipe the dust from Jimmy Carter’s solar panels.

At the same time, although technological advancements in clean energy are occurring on a massive scale, continued innovation will only happen if demand increases for renewables.  Federal stimulus dollars directed at spurring renewable energy research and development should help lower the cost of equipment like solar panels and encourage average citizens to follow Obama’s lead by generating their own green electricity.

The passage of historic federal climate change legislation may not be feasible over the coming months.  When summer arrives and the hot sun and oppressive humidity dominate the day’s news, however, solar panels on the White House roof can serve as shining symbols of the homegrown power harnessed by renewable energy.  Perhaps as Obama is wading in the White House pool, he will catch a glimpse of the solar panels lining his home’s roof and spot a choice location for a wind turbine.

Written By Jason Marshall

Jason Marshall is a Boston attorney and a member of the Boston Bar

Association’s Telecommunications and Energy Committee.

Retrofit solar hot water heaters are the most cost-effective, learn more, way to utilize solar power in today’s market. By retrofitting, much of the labor and material “costs behind installation can be avoided by integrating the new, solar system into the old, “conventional water heater”. In many cases a new water tank is not needed and existing plumbing can still be used.

Solar hot water systems work using solar collectors to harness solar energy to heat up water, which is then transferred to the home via the pre-existing system. Systems can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000 depending on the existing system but, either way, they will save money. Water heating, according to the Department of Energy http://www.eere.energy.gov/de/solar_hotwater.html, is second only to space heating in home energy usage. That being said, *a solar water heater can reduce heating bills by as much as 25 percent*; not to mention the savings in environmental impact.

Beside lower up-front costs, retrofit solar hot water systems pay for themselves rather quickly in energy savings. They often have payback periods less than five years! In addition, state rebates and
incentives http://www.dsireusa.org/ can take a considerable chunk out of the initial investment, making them even more lucrative for the green-minded homeowner.

Green is the new color of home building and remodeling, and every year more avenues are available to homeowners in that regard. Solar power in general is skyrocketing in terms of popularity and accessibility with retrofit solar water heating leading the way. Why not use the same sun that warms your face
every morning to heat your water every day? It is, after all, “free” energy!

Written by
Taylen Peterson
CalFinder
www.calfinder.com

     Although the current system will only power the AC unit, and is for all intents and purposes is just for show, this is definitely a step in the right direction. The California company SEV has created a solar panel system for Toyota Prius (2004-2008). This system takes 2-3 hours to install and boast of a 29% improvement in fuel efficiency. If you are interested this system will set you back $2K to $4k, but it should pay for itself in 2-3 years.

     Toyota is on the right track and hopefully as technology improves the impact that solar panels have on our energy consumptions will increase. Judging by the advancements in recent years I would not be surprised to see a road vehicle by 2020 that is capable of being powered by the sun entirely on a sunny day.  Possibly this will be done by solar charging stations or by munted panels that charge the batteries when the car is parked.

Let us start with electricity. You buy electricity from the power company.The power company charges you a “delivery” charge and “usage” charge. The delivery charge is usually small. The usage charge, however, varies from home to home based on how much electricity you use.

Electricity usage is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh for short) and the bulk of your electricity bill is your usage in kWh times the price of a kWh. The typical American home uses about 10,000 kWh per year. (In Europe, the average home uses about 3,300 kWh per year).While 10,000 kWh does not seem like a lot, for a solar electric system it is.

*Sizing a Solar PV System*

We speak of solar systems in terms of their rated peak power output. For example, a system of five 200-watt panels has a rated peak output of 1,000 watts. Using the rated power, we estimate the total electricity production of the system based on the sun and shade conditions for your location. (Average sun hours per day x Rated power x System efficiency x 365 = kWh per year)

In my area, in unshaded conditions, a 1,000-watt solar electric system with the panels facing polar south and mounted at 45 degrees will generate about 1,200 kWh in a typical year and offset 0.7 tons of carbon dioxide per year. The panels will cover 65 to 85 square feet and cost around $8,000 to $10,000** installed.

Now imagine that a homeowner uses 10,000 kWh per year and wants to offset half of that power    consumption, 5,000 kWh per year, with a solar electric system. To do that, they would need a system just over four times larger than the 1,000-watt system used in the example above. Here is the math: 5,000 kWh per year / 1,200 kWh per year = 4.2, 4.2 x 1,000 = 4,200 watt
system.

Therefore, a system big enough to generate 5,000 kilowatt-hours per year would need to be about 4,200 watts. It will offset about 2.5 tons of carbon dioxide, cover 275 to 360 square feet, and cost $34,000 to $42,000** installed.

*Ouch! For most of us, those are big numbers.*

**Grants and Tax credits not included in the cost estimates.

*Making the Numbers Smaller*

While solar electric systems are expensive in the short term, they are quite reliable, can be expected to last well beyond the 25 year warranty provided by most panel manufacturers, and they will eventually pay for themselves by offsetting electricity you buy from the power company.

So how do you make the cost of the solar electric system smaller? Use less electricity. This turns out to be both economically sensible and environmentally smart.

If, for example, you cut your usage from 10,000 to 5,000 kWh per year, your home’s carbon footprint (the amount of carbon dioxide your home is responsible for putting into the atmosphere) goes down by about 2.5 tons per year.

Also, by cutting your usage in half, to 5,000 kWh per year and putting in a 2,100-watt solar system, you can realize three savings. Your electric bill goes down by half because you have reduced your usage, it goes down another 25% per year because your solar system is making half of your electricity, and your only need to put up  a 2,100 watt solar system at half the cost of a 4,200 watt system.

Read More By Mark at www.newenglandbreeze.com/tem.html

Thanks,
Mark Durrenberger

      The 2010 Toyota Prius reportedly will come with a solar panel option that will extend the battery life, but what if more could be done.  With the new material the Ohio State Researchers developed about the conventional cells it will increase the output potential.  What if all day you could operate your vehicle and charge it’s batteries simply by using a fixed solar panel.  Also consider powering your entire house with one smaller solar cell and even being able to contribute excess energy back into the grid for others to use.

      Whether we as a global community will be energy dependent in ten years from now is unsure.  What is known, is that advancements are being made in both the solar cells and the batteries that are often used to store the solar energy.  It may be anywhere between five years or twenty before highly efficient solar collectors are produced. When they are, we will all benefit.

Using a supercomputer to model different configurations of molecules, researchers were able to determine a hybrid material for testing.  They synthesized this material and measured it for frequency of light absorbed and also for length of time electrons remained free.  It was at this point they discovered how effective this new material is.

The Video Learning Center explains that conventional silicon solar cells operate by reacting with photons in light and create free electrons which flow as current in a circuit.  But these electrons only remain free for a very short time.  The material the OSU researchers created is not only able to capture all visible light, but also to free electrons for 7 million times longer than silicon. As a result more electricity is capable of being produced than ever before.

The Ohio State web site quotes the head of the Department of Chemistry, Malcolm Chisholm, saying “There are other such hybrids out there, but the advantage of our material is that we can cover the entire range of the solar spectrum.”

This new material is still in design stages and suspected to be years away from commercial production.  With more and more attention being given to alternative energies, it is safe to assume that advances in alternative energies will continue, and we could soon begin to see global energy independence.

To read more see http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/fullspect.htm