Quick – what is your solar output? If you are not familiar with this term, you probably understand solar panel efficiency. In general, an increase in efficiency means that the same amount of UV exposure will generate more solar electricity. It goes without saying that if you can produce more solar power with fewer solar [...]
Over the past 5 years, the price of solar panels has dropped dramatically while efficiency of solar arrays has increased significantly. Yet, it appears that the renewable energy revolution continues to make life better and cleaner for many of us! The University of Texas at Austin announced this month that one of its solar researchers [...]
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Solar power is a clean, renewable source of energy and is becoming so affordable that it is reaching grid parity with coal and natural gas. But before you decide whether solar is for you, consider the things that affect how well solar panels work. Surprisingly, where you live has little to do with solar panel [...]
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Most consumers know that an investment in solar power will last 25-30 years. For this reason, the return on investment is important to consider if you are planning to sell your home within a few years of installing solar. Another important consideration is solar panel efficiency. Like any other home improvement, you can expect some [...]
Continue reading about Solar Panel Efficiency: How Does it Measure Up Over Time?
One of the biggest questions people have when they are considering solar power is, how do clouds affect solar panels? For a definitive answer, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (“NREL”) recently published a study after extensive research on the effect of cloud cover on solar power installations. NREL is a national laboratory that is part [...]
Here we are in the “dog days” of summer. Record temperatures over much of the U.S. might have some people wondering, how does heat affect solar panels? The answer can be summarized in a single phrase: less power. As days get hotter – or in regions in which it is often warm – solar panels [...]
Although there can hardly be any debate that we should switch to renewable resources, there are two main concerns with transitioning to solar power. First, is the cost of solar technology. From solar panels to full-fledged solar farms, even with the recent drop in solar panel prices, its still more expensive than fossil-fuel power (using [...]
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Two of the things solar panels are most criticized for are price and efficiency. People grumble about the cost of solar panels and their relatively low conversion rate – how much energy from the sun can be turned into usable electricity. Over the last few years, the cost of solar has dropped dramatically. Now, there [...]
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Nanosolar recently announced that it will be selling and marketing its copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) solar panels this year. After intensive R&D, the company has reached 16.4% efficiency in the laboratory, closing in on the nearly 20% solar panel efficiency for a CIGS solar panel achieved by the publicly owned and operated National Renewable [...]
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Recently, Boston College researchers observed the so-called “hot electron” effect in a solar cell for the first time, and then harvested the charges with ultra-thin solar cells. What does this mean for you and for me? The short answer is: improved solar panel efficiency. Generally speaking, when UV light is captured in solar cells, it [...]
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