See I am non stop on the
search for good content on
Alternative Energy Sources. This evening, I
discovered a really
fun article that talks
about Eco Energy Sources from a different
light. Today’s fun article is titled State of the Union Message on National Solar Power .
Article by Timothy Peters
State of the Union Message on National Solar Power – Society – Environment
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Where are we today in terms of getting our energy from renewable energy sources, and particularly from solar energy?
Alarmingly, and to our discredit, the United States, while espousing our commitment to end global warming, actually gets less than 1% of its energy met through the use of solar power.
Coal, gas and oil have for so long been the standard…considered more cost-efficient and reliable…that solar energy has had little impact in providing electrical power to its citizens. What hasn’t been factored into the equation in the past, and used for a comparative analysis, is the environmental cost of using fossil fuels..their environmental pollution, coupled with the expenditure of non-renewable resources at a rate that assures its complete depletion within a few centuries.
All of the news isn’t negative, however. There are specific federal and state tax laws that permit homeowners, as well as private companies to credit their purchases of solar power systems against their annual income tax payments, and as rebates against their energy bills assessed by public utilities. This will assist with current costs associated with installing solar energy, and as well as the purchase of the actual components. The federal government is offering a 30% tax credit to businesses, to strongly encourage purchase and installation of renewable energy systems.
Tax rebates have slowly helped with numerous solar energy industrial applications, augmenting what has been the power supply of choice at remote locations for some time. This includes power for repeater stations for TV, radio, and microwave. And the next time you go for a drive, notice how many road signs and traffic signals are now powered by solar energy.
Solar power may also be coming to a city near you…especially if you live in California, where they have been moving rapidly to get greater advantage from solar power. Using various methods of collecting solar energy through central power applications, community solar systems are distributing power in grid-like fashion similar to other power distribution methods, albeit on a smaller scale.
One of the most promising applications that may help to move the United States closer to parity with other more progressive countries is the Department of Energy’s Alliance with Solar American Cities. In 2007, the Alliance kicked off with 12 cities. That number has grown to a current 25 metropolitan areas working with government and private agencies to use solar energy for municipal power. According to an article in SolarPanelsPower.net, “[The] Cities… are taking action to make solar energy a more viable option for their communities. These Solar America Cities are using innovative approaches to remove market barriers to solar and to encourage adoption of solar energy technologies at the local level.” The Alliance is directing its efforts to reduce the cost of photovoltaic (PV) cells to make it more affordable and competitive with current energy sources (coal, gas & oil electricity-producing power plants). To help “grease the skids” f or solar energy, one of their greatest successes so far has been in streamlining the permitting process for solar panel installations while removing market barriers in order to assist and encourage adoption of solar power energy.
Two primary reasons active solar energy systems using photovoltaic (PV) cells have failed to take hold in the United States are the cost and space requirements. Even for those willing to pay the price, solar energy systems often take up a very large amount of space to produce a small amount of energy. There is, however, a very promising new development that may change that. At Scandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during the latter part of 2009, an announcement came out that described the creation of “glitter-sized photovoltaics.” This technology, they believe, will not only reduce the cost of producing the photovoltaic cells, it will also reduce the space required to build the system.
Sandia field engineer Vipin Gupta says, “Photovoltaic modules made from these microsized cells for the rooftops of homes and warehouses could have intelligent controls, inverters and even storage built in at the chip level. Such an integrated module could greatly simplify the cumbersome design, bid, permit and grid integration process that our solar technical assistance teams see in the field all the time.”
Using less material, these microcells will make PV’s cheaper to make and to install. And that is a huge step forward for the adoption of solar energy in the United States. By eliminating the cost and space requirement barrier, beyond parity with fossil fuel energy is a very real reality…very soon.
About the Author
Timothy Peters is a renewable energy enthusiast and author. He lives in Spokane, WA and enjoys teaching others how to save money on their utility bill and help the planet through solar energy. If you want to find out more solar power information, then check out his site at: www.HomeSolarPowerExplained.com
Use and distribution of this article is subject to our Publisher Guidelines
whereby the original author’s information and copyright must be included.
Timothy Peters
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Timothy Peters is a renewable energy enthusiast and author. He lives in Spokane, WA and enjoys teaching others how to save money on their utility bill and help the planet through solar energy. If you want to find out more solar power information, then check out his site at: www.HomeSolarPowerExplained.com
Use and distribution of this article is subject to our Publisher Guidelines
whereby the original author’s information and copyright must be included.
See I am non stop on the
search for good content on
Alternative Energy Sources. This evening, I
discovered a really
fun article that talks
about Eco Energy Sources from a different
light. Today’s fun article is titled Solar Panels – 30″W x 20″H – Peel and Stick Wall Decal by Wallmonkeys .
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You may view the latest post at
State of the Union Message on National Solar Power Best regards,
JamesGallo
ekonenargi@gmail.com
