Presently millions of people use solar electricity every day, anyone reading this will more than likely have used it unknowingly many times before. A simple calculator usually posses a small solar panel, some watches have solar panel faces, and the screen on a laptop that's just a solar panel working in reverse. Yet major generation of solar electricity has remained relatively miniscule. Solar is poised to become a vital contributor to world energy production. It's almost surreal to think that solar provides clean energy, no smog, no air pollution and diminishes our dependence on fossil fuels. If our modern society wishes to proceed with ever advancing standards of living, we need to move into the future where solar and renewable energies can provide us with the environmentally friendly energy our society is destined for. This destiny is becoming more and more a reality as electricity prices skyrocket, power disruptions abound, and blackouts become more frequent. In the near future solar energy generation will produce significant amounts of electricity.
In 1839 a French physicist Antoine-Cesar Becquerel observed that shining light on an electrode submerged in a conductive solution would create an electric current.
Also in 1839 a French physicist named Edmond Becquerel found that a certain material would produce a small amount of an electric current when it was exposed to a light. This was described as the photovoltaic (PV) effect. Nearly a decade later selenium PV cells were converting light to electricity at 1% to 2% efficiency. As a result, selenium was quickly adopted in the emerging field of photography for use in light-measuring devices.
Russel Ohl, unexpectedly and quite by accident, discovered how to produce electricity from the sun's solar rays useing silicon. He was a radio researcher in bell laboratories who was attempting to produce a better receiver. Ohl thought that there was potential in a crystal receiver; he spent countless hours on his experiments and studies. When the lab cut down the workers' hours, he took his work home and solely studied crystal shapes and formations. After much experimentation he decided that the best receivers were of the elements now known as semiconductors. He was so convinced, he actually had purer materials specially made for his tests and experiments. In early 1940, he examined a silicone sample that had a crack down the middle. When this sample was exposed to sunlight the current flowing between the sides jumped drastically. After examining the sample extensively he determined that the crack was a dividing line between the two impurities in the silicone. One side possessed an excess of electrons and the other had much less. Therefore the sides were called 'p-type' for positive side and 'n-type' for negative side. It was discovered that sunlight supplied the excess electrons in the negative side to cross the crack and produce a current. The amount of electricity produced was very minute in the beginning. The first modern solar cells producing useable amounts of electricity were created in bell labs in 1954. Ohl unknowingly exposing his crystals to sunlight discovered a technology used throughout many areas of industry to this day.
spheral solar technology was engineered in our own backyard, the product of over 40 patents, being developed right here in Cambridge, Ontario. Spheral technology is attempting to reinvent the regular crystal solar panel to be easily manufactured and possess millions of tiny ball shaped crystals. Currently manufactured silicon solar cells are extremely fragile and must be encased in a plastic or glass container to prevent any damaging. Spheral solar basically laminates small solar spheres between two sheets of aluminum, making it very durable and easy to integrate into building construction. Since spheral solar is manufactured rather quickly and cheaply, it has a tremendous potential for decreasing in price once it is mass-produce. Spheral solar cells are very well adapted for BIPV (building integrated photovoltaics) and likely will become its forte. The cells and modules (cells in combination) are lightweight and flexible, this cuts down on costs when compared to silicone cells which are heavy and require extensive frames and supports. Spheral cells could potentially, with such a lightweight, literally be glued to an exterior wall or roof. With the market for utility-conjunction systems now exceeding that of off-grid, BIPV electricity generation can expect a significant increase because of spheral solar technology.
Paul Alivisatos is a chemist at Berkeley who is attempting to use nanotechnology to create a cheap alternative to current silicone cells. Alivisatos is beginning with electrically conductive polymers, which in the past have been made solar cells successfully but with very low efficiency rates. To improve this Alivisatos is going to add nanorods to the polymer, these are bar shaped semi-conducting inorganic crystals. The crystals are extremely small measuring only seven nanometers by sixty nanometers. His goal is to achieve similar efficiencies as that of current silicone cells but also posses lightweight and flexibility. Alivisatos Nano cells are very suitable for BIPV designs and could possibly even be painted or ink jet printed on to mediums such as buses or billboards. The advantages of nano-technology being introduced into the research and design of solar cells is very advantageous. Solar cells are plagued with low efficiencies and anything that can increase its output is extremely beneficial. Alivisatos says, "new ideas and new materials have opened up a period of change. It's a good idea to try many approaches and see what emerges" As the cost of production of conventional silicone cells remains relatively high, Alivisatos hopes that through the development of his nano solar cells he is able to bring them down in price to a more reasonable level. Not A level that can be afforded only for niche applications, but a level that eventually renders solar generation a powerhouse for global supply.
Within the coming years, solar energy is expected to jump drastically in total amounts of electricity produced. After 50 or so years the cost of this technology is finally becoming affordable to the majority of middle class families. A virtually unlimited and superbly clean source for electricity generation. Prices per kilowatt-hour are throughout the world steadily rising, and in some locations already higher than that of what photovoltaics can provide. Ontario residents pay 4.7 cents per kWh, which is low compared to most countries. Italy pays 8.48 cents per kWh and this is down 4.9% since last year. The USA averages out at 8.16 cents per kWh, up 0.2% from last year. So it turns out that Ontarians pay only about half of what our near neighbours to the south do. Yet our current subsidized electricity rates are bound to catch up, and in 2006 when the market is re-opened and fluctuations abound, then and only then, will the realistic value of electricity begin to be noticed.
Solar production and manufacturing is becoming big business and it is predicted to grow significantly over the next 20 to 40 years. Currently the industry generates one billion dollars worldwide and has been growing at a rate of 33% per annum since 1996. This type of information would have been gold to investors over the last few years. Solar electricity generation remains the most promising technology in cutting down our reliance on fossil fuels.
The initial price of a solar system still remains as a major barrier that is slowly beginning to be overcome. Governments play a key role in resolving this problem by providing subsidies for citizens. In Japan people that decide to purchase solar cells for electricity generation are subsidized 50%for grid connected systems and commercial buildings and businesses are refunded 67%. In the USA former President Clinton began the million solar roof initiative, and also many individual states provide their own type of subsidization or funding to spark interests in its citizens. Here in Canada our government lacks any initiative in prompting Canadians to participate in green energies; the best that they supply right now is a free computer program designed to model cost to benefit ratios of various types of renewable energies (RETScreen, http://retscreen.gc.ca). So the majority of Canadians will have to wait until costs for solar cells fall to more affordable rates. Currently the solar cell prices drop at about 5% per year, and with mass production and cheaper technologies, this rate is bound to increase even further.
Integrating a photovoltaic array into an existing house can be very difficult but also very fulfilling. Some of the reasons that it is not done more often are because of limited knowledge, unsightfulness and its initial cost. Educating the public will help people understand what they are buying and this advocates the integration of photovoltaics.
The first step is to determine the amount of electricity your house uses in an average day and month. After this is found, a system must be designed and tailored to meet these requirements. Large panels come in ratings of between 165 to 190 watts each and the usual house uses between 2400 to 4000 kWh so usually about 25 to 30 panels will do the job well. A small system may be more economic, requiring much less of an investment and necessary installation labour. An inverter will also need to be purchased; this takes the direct current from either the cells or the batteries and turns it into useable alternating current for the house. If the house is still connected to the grid and uses a net metering system, then batteries may not be necessary. There are two types of net metering systems that are used by hydro companies. In the first, electricity is bought back from the supplier at the same price it is being sold for. In the second, excess electricity is accumulated and "banked" so that it may be supplied back for free in times of lower generation. If the house is not connected to the grid then a storage system is necessary. The first item needed batteries will also need to be purchased, these come in various sizes and life spans, but all unfortunately, are usually relatively expensive. To protect those batteries a charge controller is needed. This will monitor the charging of the batteries so once they become full, the electricity will be dumped so as not to overcharge and cause any damage. The hardware for a roof installation is also necessary and can be expensive. It depends though on whether or not it is an adjustable support system, or if it just lays flat on the roof. Once these are all purchased the system must be installed. Installation can be a very difficult task because of the height involved on a roof and the wiring of all the electrical components. This can become very arduous, for some so it may be best to have the system installed by a professional.
The future of electricity generation by means of the sun's solar rays is looking very bright. Every minute, enough sunlight hits the earth to provide all the power necessary to power the world for a year. Solar is limitless and pollution free, it is becoming cheaper and more efficient by the month. Slowly but surely it's penetrating the market, the news of newly installed solar panel systems are becoming ever more frequent. The new promises of spheral solar and nano-technology in BIPV will further its takeover. The government of other countries are helping their citizens with the purchase of renewable energies, the Canadian government can't be too far behind. The cost of subsidizing nuclear power is realistically more expensive than helping citizens purchase their own generation systems. With the new technologies solar cells are steadily increasing their efficiencies taking them ever closer to that point where they are cheaper than current methods of generation. Increasing efficiencies are also due to more scientific research in solar rays and the best positioning for photovoltaic cells. With all these changes the average person is the end benefactor, for it is the home owner that is now able to generate their own electricity. Russel Ohl indirectly and unknowingly discovered the newest way for civilization to generate electricity. In the near future solar energy generation will produce significant amounts of electricity with its advanced technology, leading economics and residential systems.