Solar panel cost - How to reduce energy bill

Switching to renewable energy sources and efforts on lowering solar panel cost are main focus in near future for many citizens. Specially people living in rural areas or countryside. There are three main kinds of solar modules and they differ by solar panel cost and space efficiency.

1. Mono crystalline modules

They have well known rounded individual solar cells visible from all angles placed in very uniform rows. This type is produced from a silicon or crystal. Manufacturing costs are very high because of the producing process making them the most expensive solar modules on the market. They are, however the most space efficient making them the correct choice when space is at a premium. Mono crystalline cells have a life expectancy far exceeding 25 years, probably over 50 years. You can choose between higher solar panel cost and space efficiency.

2. Polycrystalline modules

Polycrystalline modules are manufactured from a block of poly-crystalline silicon. They are usually square and have a different, almost mosaic-like appearance. Just slightly less efficient than mono crystalline modules they are cheaper to manufacture and thus solar panel cost is smaller. You can expect long life from mono crystalline cells too.

3. Thin Film or P-V

This is new product that was recently introduced into the market that could provide much needed relief from high solar panel costs . Amorphous silicon P-V or thin film technology could make rigid solar panels history if some technology improvements are done. Thin film panels are produced by applying silicon material on glass or stainless steel, or lately between two pieces of flexible laminate material. Solid or rigid thin film panels are in use by flexible laminated thin film panels are more popular.

The flexible panels can be applied to any surface and sometimes used as roofing material. Saving you the cost of regular shingles or steel roofing, thin film solar panels are a good choice. These panels are not nearly as efficient at converting light to electricity when compared to mono or polycrystalline solar panels- not nearly by half.

You would need twice the space to accommodate their installation. The real benefit, because less material is needed, is in the simplified manufacturing process resulting in lowered solar panel costs to build. The lower price has pushed thin film panels to the lead in price per watt of output.

Initially, solar power cost might look little bit high but it pays for itself many times with all savings and environment preservation. There are several different systems for collecting solar power but these are most commonly used.

-Solar Panels for Hot Water : Solar panels are usually flat plates which are highly sensitive to the energy of the sun's rays, absorbing this solar heat through a transparent cover. The energy is then collected through a transfer system which is used to heat water. The hot water is stored in a cylinder for use at any time. This system brings solar panel cost to usable levels.

-A more complex design is the evacuated tube system. With this system a row of glass tubes each contain absorber plates. The heat is collected and used to heat water in the same way.
Both systems are usually fitted to a southeast or southwest facing roof.

-Photovoltaic Cells : A Photovoltaic (pv) cell comprises semi-conducting material which, when exposed to daylight creates electrical charges. Groups of pv cells are than put together in modules so that sufficient output can be created. This is transferred in direct current (DC) and can be used in the house to power washing machines, fridges, computers TVs and other electrical equipment. The solar energy generated through the photovoltaic process is clean, quiet and self maintained. Solar panel cost is very soon offset with savings on power bills and revenue from power released to grid.

Solar energy technologies focuses on developing cost-effective energy that have the greatest potential to benefit every country in the world. Solar technologies diversify the energy supply, reduce the country's dependence on imported fuels, improve air quality, and offset greenhouse gas emissions. A growing solar industry also stimulates every economy by creating jobs in solar manufacturing and installation. Benefits are much bigger than initial solar panel cost, so it's safe to say that solar power has bright future.

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First question that comes on mind is how much will I have to pay for such a system? Solar panel cost should be manageable for many people. If governments continue to subsidize this technologies with tax cuts and modern and mass production make these solar panels cheaper, more people will see benefits by switching to this kind of power.

You have probably also been hearing about the "solar revolution" for the last 10-20 years, the idea that one day we will all use free electricity from the sun. This is a very attractive promise. On a bright, sunny day, the sun shines approximately 1,000 watts of energy per square meter of the planet's surface, and if we could collect all of that energy we could easily power our homes and offices for free. So basically, solar panel cost would be only bigger cost related to energy.

A reliable and affordable supply of electricity is essential to protect public health and safety, and to sustain a growing economy in the far east and west. Shortage in natural gas supplies, low hydro-power generation due to drought, and increasing demand for electricity have led to enormous volatility in the world's power market. Solar panel cost could be minimal expense to pay for providing electricity for your home.

And as the population in the all states continues to grow, energy demand will continue to increase. With better results in creating systems for thermal storage, modern solar power technologies can provide power during periods of peak demand on the utilities , even if the sun isn't shining. This ability to provide stored power during periods of peak demand puts solar power technologies as a promising energy choice for most of the globe.

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What would you have to do to power your house with solar energy? Although it's not as simple as just slapping some modules on your roof, it's not extremely difficult to do, either. Can you handle solar panel cost ?

First of all, not every roof has the correct orientation or angle of inclination to take advantage of the sun's energy. Non-tracking PV systems in the Northern Hemisphere should point toward true south (this is the orientation). They should be inclined at an angle equal to the area's latitude to absorb the maximum amount of energy year-round. A different orientation and/or inclination could be used if you want to maximize energy production for the morning or afternoon, and/or the summer or winter. Of course, the modules should never be shaded by nearby trees or buildings, no matter the time of day or the time of year. In a PV module, even if just one of its 36 cells is shaded, power production will be reduced by more than half.

If you have a house with a constant sunny, south-facing roof, you need to decide what size system you need. This is complicated by the facts that your electricity production depends on the weather, which is never completely predictable, and that your electricity demand will also vary. These hurdles are fairly easy to clear. Meteorological data gives average monthly sunlight levels for different geographical areas. This takes into account rainfall and cloudy days, as well as altitude, humidity, and other more subtle factors. You should design for the worst month, so that you'll have enough electricity all year. With that data, and knowing your average household demand (your utility bill conveniently lets you know how much energy you use every month), there are simple methods you can use to determine just how many PV modules you'll need. You'll also need to decide on a system voltage, which you can control by deciding how many modules to wire in series.

But if all this looks like lots of work and decision-making, saving at the end of the month will make this fade away. Initial solar panel cost will be fast offset with savings on energy bills.

One of new concepts for use of renewable energy is concentrated solar thermal. Solar power is not a new idea at all, and many photo voltaic based plants (standard "solar panels") have already been built, these plants are quite expensive due to the cost of the panel materials, and take up huge amounts of land to be effective. Even worse, as soon as the sun stops shining, the electricity stops being produced.

Solar thermal solves this problem by taking a completely different design. Rather than converting the sunlight directly to electricity, as photovoltaic panels do, solar thermal systems use some sort of reflector dish to concentrate the sunlight into a small area. This concentrated sunlight is then used to heat fluid inside an absorber tube. Think of shining a magnifying glass onto a test tube of water. This heated fluid is then transferred to a heat engine, which converts the heat into electricity.

This system has several advantages. One of the most notable advantages is that since the heat fluid can be store in insulated reservoirs until needed, solar thermal plants can produce power at nigh and on overcast days, which is a huge plus in an actual power system, where the load is 24 hours a day. Storing energy as heat is much more efficient that storing it as electricity, so these plants will have a huge leg up in this area. Another cool feature of solar thermal is that it could be used to help desalinate salt water, making it a doubly useful resource in coastline areas.

Another big advantage of solar thermal energy is its great reliability. Since the system is quite simple, running a solar plant based on the technology will not take much of an effort. Because of this, these power plants can last long into the future, providing power for years to come.

Though it is certainly not perfect just yet, concentrated solar thermal power generation has the potential to transform the way we think about energy in this country. The dream of limitless, clear renewable energy may seem a little bit cloudy for some, but the solar thermal technology helps bring it one step closer to becoming a reality