The Solar or Photo Voltaic (PV) industry continues to grow rapidly . Sunlight, the source of solar electrical energy is one of the cleanest sources of power ever tapped by technology. Needless to say , it is smart to know at least the basics of this exploding industry.
In order for us to power our tools, appliances , computers and electronics, we have to have electrical current or flow of electrons coming from our wall outlets to our gadgets. This same flow of electrons are normally produced from electromagnetic or electrical generators using the basic electromagnets and conductor (coils of wires ) combination . These are still king in electrical production.
But here is the catch. Electromagnetism plus coils of wires do not produce electricity until there is relative motion such as rotation between the two elements. And yes, rotation of machinery need power to make it happen ! Mechanical rotation need prime movers to create such motion. So we use diesel engines , steam turbines , hydro turbines , windmills . Steam turbines are driven by high temperature steam that are produced using coal , jet fuel, natural gas , nuclear power . So you see these systems take years and millions of dollars to build and maintain. Not to mention the mess that they leave behind!
Now comes solar power! This baby does not need magnetics or coils of wire to produce electricity. It does not have any rotating members. As a matter of fact it has NO MOVING PARTS! It is quiet , clean and one cannot even hear it hum.
And it can produce MegaWatts (MW) or millions of watts just by exposing the solar cells to the radiant sun!
Current solar cells use silicon-based material to produce electricity! It is as simple as the sun's rays composed of what are known as photons hitting the surface of the cell , then this process 'excites' the loose or free electrons of the cells , creating an electron flow. These individual electron flows from each cell are collected and directed out of the cells or panels , into wires and to the inverters.
And what in the world are inverters? They are electronic devices that convert the DC (direct current) produced by the PV panels into usable AC (alternating current) that is the same as the power we have in our homes. Inverters are also very efficient and quiet since they are all electronics.
Inverters are of two basic types: Grid-tied or Off-grid. Grid is the word used to describe the huge network of electrical systems supplying communities . Grid-tied means the solar electrical system is connected to the community or utility power . Off-grid are just that, they are on their own, self-sustaining supported by banks of batteries. Batteries are DC voltage sources similar to the DC from solar panels.
There are a few more components that make up the solar electrical system. But the solar panels and the inverters are the two main components.
Joe Joson
California, USA
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Solarmer Plastic Solar Panels Certified for 7.9% Efficiency
Solarmer
Energy employees are in high spirits after receiving news of their latest
NREL certified plastic solar panel efficiency of 7.9%. Several accomplishments of this
magnitude have made 2009 a great year for Solarmer including achievements in
manufacturing, plastic solar cell and module efficiency, and awards. This achievement
also holds very special meaning to the founders of the company, dating back to
before the company started.
In 2005, Founders Woolas Hsieh, Edward Chen, and Jennifer Yu had a dream of creating a company that would provide the world with an affordable way to generate clean energy and would help solve the energy problem. In 2006, plastic solar panel developer Solarmer Energy was born into the emerging organic photovoltaic industry. Just three years later, Solarmer took the reigns of plastic solar panel efficiency and is now running away with it. “This achievement firmly establishes Solarmer’s leadership in the OPV industry”, says Founder and President, Woolas Hsieh. “Our efforts in R&D have now put us in a great position to launch a competitive product based on plastic solar panels.”
As a result of their progress, Solarmer has received several awards from organizations including FlexTech Alliance, Office of Naval Research, and the Department of Energy, in the last 12 months. Breaking 2 efficiency world records (plastic solar cell and plastic solar module) played a big role in Solarmer winning these awards. They have also worked hard to complete their pilot manufacturing line and have announced that it will be operational next quarter. Outside of these developments, Solarmer has joined the Organic Electronics Association, and Woolas Hsieh was elected to sit on their Board of Directors.
Celebrating their new achievement, Solarmer will showcase their champion solar panels and demos at Printed Electronics USA 2009Photovoltaics 2009. Located in San Jose, California, you can visit Solarmer at the Tradeshow on December 2nd and 3rd. Dr. Yue Wu will present the record breaking data at this conference, while Dr. Gang Li will be giving his own presentation on Solarmer’s latest results at the Material Research Society’s Fall Meeting from December 1st to 3rd in Boston, Massachusetts.
In 2005, Founders Woolas Hsieh, Edward Chen, and Jennifer Yu had a dream of creating a company that would provide the world with an affordable way to generate clean energy and would help solve the energy problem. In 2006, plastic solar panel developer Solarmer Energy was born into the emerging organic photovoltaic industry. Just three years later, Solarmer took the reigns of plastic solar panel efficiency and is now running away with it. “This achievement firmly establishes Solarmer’s leadership in the OPV industry”, says Founder and President, Woolas Hsieh. “Our efforts in R&D have now put us in a great position to launch a competitive product based on plastic solar panels.”
As a result of their progress, Solarmer has received several awards from organizations including FlexTech Alliance, Office of Naval Research, and the Department of Energy, in the last 12 months. Breaking 2 efficiency world records (plastic solar cell and plastic solar module) played a big role in Solarmer winning these awards. They have also worked hard to complete their pilot manufacturing line and have announced that it will be operational next quarter. Outside of these developments, Solarmer has joined the Organic Electronics Association, and Woolas Hsieh was elected to sit on their Board of Directors.
Celebrating their new achievement, Solarmer will showcase their champion solar panels and demos at Printed Electronics USA 2009Photovoltaics 2009. Located in San Jose, California, you can visit Solarmer at the Tradeshow on December 2nd and 3rd. Dr. Yue Wu will present the record breaking data at this conference, while Dr. Gang Li will be giving his own presentation on Solarmer’s latest results at the Material Research Society’s Fall Meeting from December 1st to 3rd in Boston, Massachusetts.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Open Energy Information Blog US Government
November 3, 2011
The US government blog on renewable energy says, "The OpenEI.org blog is intended to keep people interested in renewable energy issues up to speed with the rapidly evolving market. All the information on the OpenEI blog is then added to OpenEI.org. Anyone can become a contributor or editor on OpenEI. Simply navigate to the page, sign-up, and you're now part of the world's source for renewable energy information".
Read on: http://blog.openei.org/
Main Site: http://www.data.gov/energy
Joe Joson
USA
email: blackhawk74@yahoo.com
The US government blog on renewable energy says, "The OpenEI.org blog is intended to keep people interested in renewable energy issues up to speed with the rapidly evolving market. All the information on the OpenEI blog is then added to OpenEI.org. Anyone can become a contributor or editor on OpenEI. Simply navigate to the page, sign-up, and you're now part of the world's source for renewable energy information".
Read on: http://blog.openei.org/
Main Site: http://www.data.gov/energy
Joe Joson
USA
email: blackhawk74@yahoo.com
Solar Solar and Solar Everywhere!
November 3, 2011
The prices of manufacturing photovoltaics are dropping at staggering speeds. The target is now at 50 cents per kilowatt hour! At this level, the solar industry will be poised to truly start eating into coal which is by far still the cheapest way to produce electricity. Not for long. In 3 to 5 years according to many analyst estimates, solar is going to take over a lot of the production.
Here are a few sites to check out:
Nano Solar at http://www.nanosolar.com/technology , one of the leaders in thin film solar production and manufacturing.
First Solar at http://www.firstsolar.com/en/index.php , the website says... " First Solar manufactures thin film PV modules using an advanced semiconductor technology that offers enhanced suitability for affordable and efficient PV modules. Systems using First Solar modules generate electricity with no water, air emissions, or waste stream and have the fastest energy payback time and the smallest carbon footprint of any PV technology on a life cycle basis."
Joe Joson
USA
emails: joe@mendozasolar.com or blackhawk74@yahoo.com
website: www.mendozasolar.com
The prices of manufacturing photovoltaics are dropping at staggering speeds. The target is now at 50 cents per kilowatt hour! At this level, the solar industry will be poised to truly start eating into coal which is by far still the cheapest way to produce electricity. Not for long. In 3 to 5 years according to many analyst estimates, solar is going to take over a lot of the production.
Here are a few sites to check out:
Nano Solar at http://www.nanosolar.com/technology , one of the leaders in thin film solar production and manufacturing.
First Solar at http://www.firstsolar.com/en/index.php , the website says... " First Solar manufactures thin film PV modules using an advanced semiconductor technology that offers enhanced suitability for affordable and efficient PV modules. Systems using First Solar modules generate electricity with no water, air emissions, or waste stream and have the fastest energy payback time and the smallest carbon footprint of any PV technology on a life cycle basis."
Joe Joson
USA
emails: joe@mendozasolar.com or blackhawk74@yahoo.com
website: www.mendozasolar.com
Energy News Sources to Follow
Here are several of the sources of energy news to follow:
International Energy Agency at http://www.iea.org/index.asp
Green Tech Media at http://www.greentechmedia.com/research/
TechPulse360 at http://techpulse360.com/tag/solar-energy/
TechPulse360 at http://techpulse360.com/2010/03/18/california-renewable-energy-credits-to-spark-the-building-of-in-state-solar-and-wind-farms/ , great news on Solar Farms! This means large tracts of land where solar panels will mushroom!
Joe Joson
USA
emails: joe@mendozasolar.com or blackhawk74@yahoo.com
website: www.mendozasolar.com
International Energy Agency at http://www.iea.org/index.asp
Green Tech Media at http://www.greentechmedia.com/research/
TechPulse360 at http://techpulse360.com/tag/solar-energy/
TechPulse360 at http://techpulse360.com/2010/03/18/california-renewable-energy-credits-to-spark-the-building-of-in-state-solar-and-wind-farms/ , great news on Solar Farms! This means large tracts of land where solar panels will mushroom!
Joe Joson
USA
emails: joe@mendozasolar.com or blackhawk74@yahoo.com
website: www.mendozasolar.com
Solar News November 2011
Solar energy is shifting from Solar Thermal to Solar Photovoltaics as prices of solar cell manufacturing drop faster worldwide led by China. Solar Thermal is the production of electricity using multiple mirrors reflecting the sun's rays and focusing them on a water line or tank raising temperatures of the water to as high as 1000 degrees fahrenheit. This superheated water is then used to drive turbines, the turbines serve as prime movers for generators.
Solar Thermal companies are having a hard time competing due to higher expenses in start up and eventual operation. There are a few exceptions of course and these companies are not ready to fold up and some of them are even expanding operations. Here are a few of the holdouts:
Bright Source Energy at http://www.brightsourceenergy.com/ with offices in Oakland , California, Israel and Australia. Note that these three locations, in addition to their high technology , are also located geographically where sunshine is plentiful year round.
Abengoa Solar at http://www.abengoasolar.com/corp/web/en/index.html , a Spanish company with operation and production plant in the Mojave Desert area, California.
NextEra Energy at http://www.nexteraenergy.com/news/contents/news_releases.shtml, is planning to construct a Solar Thermal site near Abengoa Solar in the Mojave Desert.
These companies and others may remain competitive with Solar Photovoltaics companies as they continue to be innovative and keeping their production expenses lower. But at the rate that photovoltaics technology is going, it may not be a surprise if the Solar Thermal energy industry could get buried in the years to come.
Joe Joson
USA
emails: joe@mendozasolar.com or blackhawk74@yahoo.com
website: www.mendozasolar.com
Solar Thermal companies are having a hard time competing due to higher expenses in start up and eventual operation. There are a few exceptions of course and these companies are not ready to fold up and some of them are even expanding operations. Here are a few of the holdouts:
Bright Source Energy at http://www.brightsourceenergy.com/ with offices in Oakland , California, Israel and Australia. Note that these three locations, in addition to their high technology , are also located geographically where sunshine is plentiful year round.
Abengoa Solar at http://www.abengoasolar.com/corp/web/en/index.html , a Spanish company with operation and production plant in the Mojave Desert area, California.
NextEra Energy at http://www.nexteraenergy.com/news/contents/news_releases.shtml, is planning to construct a Solar Thermal site near Abengoa Solar in the Mojave Desert.
These companies and others may remain competitive with Solar Photovoltaics companies as they continue to be innovative and keeping their production expenses lower. But at the rate that photovoltaics technology is going, it may not be a surprise if the Solar Thermal energy industry could get buried in the years to come.
Joe Joson
USA
emails: joe@mendozasolar.com or blackhawk74@yahoo.com
website: www.mendozasolar.com
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