Created by chemrat (contact me)
I can also be found at the following blogs and sites:
Nearly nothing but novels: fiction and crime fiction book reviews,
Chemistry for a sustainable wor...
(more...)
All the solar news and background you need
Solar power isn't perfect, but it's about as perfect as we can get if we need heat or electricity and don't want to generate emissions by burning carbon-based fuels (coal, oil, gas) or hazardous waste from nuclear power plants. Here we'll see what is going on with solar technology- the good, the great and the horrible.
Ask questions if you have them, either in the guest book or by contacting me.
Feel free to leave links to your own favorite solar energy or related site in the guest book, also.
Welcome to this Solar Energy lens
Introduction
New Table of Contents
- Welcome to this Solar Energy lens
- Envirnomental Links
- Solar cells/solar panels- how do they work? A very basic and preliminary, conversational intro.
- Solar cells that avoid petroleum-based materials
- DIscussion of energy policies and what they mean to us
- Google invests in Solar Energy power plants with eSolar
- Professional Solar Installation, Tax Rebate Info and More:
- Twitter Follow: follow my content via Twitter
- Here is one possible solar panel-based system:
- Feed from Chemistry for a Sustainable World
- Commentary
- Spotlight on a Solar Energy Book
- Articles and photos from my blogs and websites
- Solar energy at Amazon- theory to practice
- My tagged stories at Treehugger's Hugg.com
- New Guestbook
- More solar energy theory and practice from Amazon
- Find out how to install solar heating or solar panels:
Envirnomental Links
being added to every day
- Chemistry for a Sustainable World
- My own blog about environmental issues, energy issues, pollution, solutions and public policy. Focus is on the USA and the world.
- Sustainable Society USA
- Real people and practical sustainability.
- Treehugger.com
- A major environmental site, one of the most influential sites in the world, in any category.
- Green Options
- A blog about practical green choices.
- Best Green Blogs
- A collection of the best blogs to read for environmental and other green issues.
- Green Eggs and Planet
- Good green articles!
- Recommended Books at Powells
- Books on Green Chemistry.
- Stephen Leahy, Environmental Journalist
- Environmental News.
- Life Less Plastic
- How to minimize your use of plastic.
- Thoughts about Global Warming
- Stay in touch with the latest!
- Live Green, Live Smart
- Practical green living.
- Sorting Out Science
- Science made clear.
- Go Green: The Database for Education
- From Edutopia
- Commonsense Agriculture, Conservation, Energy
- Practical tips for agriculture, conservation and energy.
- Earth & Economy
- Hand-picked green links. Sign up for RSS!
- Solar Power goes to Extremes for 5 cents per kWh
- Solar Power goes to Extremes for 5cents per Watt
May 11, 2008 in education, environment, science, science and society, sustainabilityTags: advances in solar power, cheap solar energy, solar panels, clean power, cleantech, sustainability
Michelle Bennett of Cleantechnica.com with the latest on solar concentrators coupled to solar panels: "We already know that concentrated solar power (CSP) is shaking things up in the solar industry. A subset within the industry is turning up the heat. "Extreme" Concentrated solar magnifies intense sunlight onto a solar cell, at temperatures that could melt it, to boost efficiency for less money."
Solar cells/solar panels- how do they work? A very basic and preliminary, conversational intro.
Ask Questions!
"On Solar Cells" © James K. Bashkin, 2008All solar cells work in basically the same way (there are really two basic ways, but the technicalities aren't important to this discussion, at least yet).
Semiconductors are the key, and these materials are characterized primarily, to a first approximation, by their composition (like gallium arsenide or indium phosphide) and band gap. The band gap can be thought of as the amount of energy, such as the energy supplied by a photon (light), that is required to promote an electron from the nonconducting valence band to the conduction band. Quick definition: photon, or particle of light, refers to the particle side of light's wave-particle duality.
Manufacturing techniques can vary significantly for solar cells (solar panels), some being very complicated, involving the careful growth of crystals on top of other crystals under high vacuum conditions, and other techniques being as simple as spraying or painting a few payers of paint or ink. A lot of clever invention went into all of these designs.
One important idea relevant to this discussion is Einstein's photoelectric effect. However, photocells were discovered experimentally before the photoelectric effect was proposed, and the photoelectric effect was actually proposed theoretically before equipment was good enough to prove it was true, experimentally. I realize this sounds like a circular argument, and it would be if the photoelectric effect and photocells were exactly the same the thing, but they aren't. The photoelectric effect describes how light can eject electrons from metals and other substances. Photocells are made of nonmetallic semiconductors that are not conductors but can be turned into conductors under the influence of absorbed photons. For photocells, light doesn't eject electrons but causes charge to flow, or electricity to be generated and conducted through the material.
One of the design issues is how to make photocells that use the solar spectrum efficiently. This is one of the reasons why a variety of materials and approaches are used, and often combined. to give a final panel design. It also helps explain why photocells for satellites have different requirements than photocells for earth: the atmosphere around earth absorbs light, as you know, and this changes the available solar spectrum vs. what is available in space.
Once a semiconductor absorbs a photon (or several), it becomes a conductor. However, the efficiency of charge conduction (electrical conduction) is related to things like how many so-called charge carriers are available, the mobility of these charge carriers through the material, and to the ability of the material to avoid what is called recombination, where the + and - charge recombine, giving off heat and no electricity, and therefore waste the absorbed photon.
Much of the elegant design of natural photosynthetic systems has evolved to maximize efficiency and minimize nonproductive recombination.
Does any of this help?
Note to cherished physicists, chemists, et al., please offer corrections if you like, but please consider that I will make this continuing discussion more sophisticated over time, with additional installments and even references/literature citations! So far, it is just off the top of my head, as it were. I would appreciate it if you would distinguish between oversimplifications and true errors. The latter I'm glad to hear about while the former is here on purpose, to help people without technical training develop some sense of how solar cells work. JKB
Solar cells that avoid petroleum-based materials
GreenTechnolog and Ecofriend report on Biosolar's greener, cheaper solar cells
Click to read the article at GreenTechnoLog
Click to read the article at Ecofriend, where I saw it first (via InstaBlogs.com)
DIscussion of energy policies and what they mean to us
"Who Goes First, The Chicken or the Egg?" by Sam Carana
Click to read the full article.
Google invests in Solar Energy power plants with eSolar
Twitter Follow: follow my content via Twitter
Stories on the Environment, Fiction Reviews and Photography
The lensmaster's articles and links
Here is one possible solar panel-based system:
1.1kW Grid-Tied Solar Electric System - $ 7503.00
GoGreenSolar.com 1.1kW grid-tie PV power systems are designed for use on residential and small commercial buildings. They consist of high quality Evergreen (PV) modules, a Kaco inverter, array wiring, DC and AC disconnects, UniRac mounting structures to secure modules on the roof, electrical drawings, data sheets, warranties and instructions. Solar Electric Photovoltaic starter system can be combined to form larger systems to meet your requirements, in the future. The GoGreenSolar.com starter system can reduce part of your bill, or eliminate higher cost electricity in locations that have progressively increasing rates as consumption increases. The starter kit system gives you all the benefits of utility interconnection and net metering for a low upfront investment. This kit qualifies for rebates and tax credits depending on the state you live in.
Feed from Chemistry for a Sustainable World
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byCommentary
Thanks and installation of solar or wind power
Since I have a love of the arts, literature and music in addition to my strong feelings about the environment, I was delighted to find lensmaster, Classic, who is prolific and a pleasure to read. Read Classic's lens Albatross, for example!
For more about what I'm up to: I operate at DIGG, Reddit, bloggingzoom, blogcatalog, gather.com and a few other sites I can't think of now under the name chemrat. My main blogs are Nearly nothing but novels: fiction and crime fiction book reviews and Chemistry for a sustainable world. There is some good environmental discussion in the comments at gather.com, along with good articles by many (SamCarana and Steve B. being two who have a lot of specific information on energy issues).
I am excited about a new service, GoGreenSolar, which operates all over the US and in many parts of the world, that helps you find installers of solar and wind power, including competing bids, and gives lots of detailed advice on the various choices and tax rebates. It works based on your zip code/post code, along with specific information about your home or other building of interest. I bring it up here because I have had countless requests for specific information and advice about installing solar power, both solar heating and solar panels for electricity.
I have a strong statement to make about alternative energy. I find that it is easy to make the case for moving away from carbon-based energy sources (coal, oil, natural gas) for reasons of pollution, health and global stability without referring to Global Warming. I say that not because I dispute Global Warming (quite the contrary), but because I've found many people who are emotionally invested in various anti-Global Warming positions (as in GW is a conspiracy of "left-wing anarchists"). However, these same people will in many cases completely buy into the idea of alternative energy for reasons that air pollution, toxic waste, war, and many other problems can be attributed to fossil fuel use.
I'd be very interested to hear any comments on these thoughts. Thanks.
Spotlight on a Solar Energy Book
Integrating solar cells (photovoltaics) into buildings
Designing with Solar Power: A Source Book for Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV)
Amazon Price: $105.12 (as of 05/15/2008)
Building Integrated PhotoVoltaics (BIPV), by the Director of the SOLARCH Group, University of New South Wales Centre for a Sustainable Environment, Australia and is a Director of the International Solar Energy Society. Mark Snow is a senior researcher at the SOLARCH Group.
Release Date: 12/31/1969
Solar energy at Amazon- theory to practice
The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy: Achieving Energy Independence through Solar, Wind, Biomass and Hydropower (Mother Earth News Wiser Living)
Amazon Price: $18.45 (as of 05/15/2008)
Solar Revolution: The Economic Transformation of the Global Energy Industry
Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 05/15/2008)
Practical Handbook of Photovoltaics: Fundamentals and Applications
Amazon Price: $232.00 (as of 05/15/2008)
Photovoltaics: Design and Installation Manual
Amazon Price: $37.77 (as of 05/15/2008)
My tagged stories at Treehugger's Hugg.com
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byNew Guestbook
| chemrat
Thanks totalhealth! Germany is making the transition quickly, just as Holland is with wind power. I think we could make a fast and significant change (if not complete transition) in the US, but some will need to be driven by a clear National (and/or State) energy policy. Best wishes, Jim Posted May 07, 2008 |
|
totalhealth
nice lens. Solar energy is surely a better alternative to carbon based fuels but the transition may take a long time and but the result would be better. Posted May 07, 2008 |
| chemrat
Thanks Purple83! I appreciate your taking the time to read and comment, and will definitely check out your lenses. Best wishes, Jim Posted May 06, 2008 |
|
purple83
Solar energy is the way to go cheaper and better for the enviroment. I enjoyed reading your lens great work here. We all need to think about transitioning into solar power it is the way of the future. Check my lenses out when you get a chance if you havent already. Great job on your lens 5 stars to you my friend of better enviroment :) Posted May 05, 2008 |
|
tdove
Thanks for joining G Rated Lense Factory! Posted May 01, 2008 |
| chemrat
Thanks for the kind feedback, and the Marklin Trans lens is great, so thanks for drawing my attention that. I favorited it and will visit it with my younger son. Best wishes! Posted April 29, 2008 |
More solar energy theory and practice from Amazon
Photovoltaic Solar Energy Generation (Springer Series in Optical Sciences)
Amazon Price: $90.90 (as of 05/15/2008)
Handbook of Photovoltaic Science and Engineering
Amazon Price: $315.90 (as of 05/15/2008)
Got Sun? Go Solar: Get Free Renewable Energy to Power Your Grid-Tied Home
Amazon Price: $12.70 (as of 05/15/2008)
Designing with Solar Power: A Source Book for Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV)
Amazon Price: $105.12 (as of 05/15/2008)
Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells: Technology and Systems Applications
Amazon Price: $152.00 (as of 05/15/2008)

