American solar energy production and use is growing, and could be ready for a prime time expansion. Solar energy, along with wind energy, is a key component of the new Obama Energy Plan, which is an attempt by the current administration to reduce carbon emissions while increasing employment in “green industries.” For that reason alone, it makes sense to study the huge potential of solar energy . In the next few years, solar energy promises to be a hotspot for investors and a boon to workers.

Solar energy use in the US

The primary expansion of solar energy use in the United States will come from the upsurge in solar panel installations for homes, commercial buildings and government offices. The Department of Energy has already made a move in the direction of this expansion with a $535 million loan guarantee to Solyndra, Inc.

Solar energy use in America is set to soar with new solar panel installations on the rise

“Solyndra’s proprietary solar panel design transforms glass tubes into easy-to-install, inexpensive, high-performance solar panels, which can be installed on low-slope commercial, industrial, and institutional rooftops. Solyndra deposits thin films of copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS), a photovoltaic material, on the inner surface of glass tubes, which are then hermetically sealed on both ends with a metal caps. The glass tubes are then assembled into large, flat solar panels. The cylindrical design enables the CIGS material to capture direct, diffuse, and reflected sunlight, allowing the panels to be mounted flat and close together. This makes greater use of the rooftop area than a traditional flat solar panel, which is typically mounted in racks that tilt the panels toward the sun. The design also allows air to flow through the panels, keeping the operating temperature down and reducing wind loads, which in turn makes installation easier,” said the Department of Energy in a press release.

This is the type of investment that the US government will looking to make more of. With a technological improvement and a broad launch, new solar panel installations will rise sharply. This will help immediately reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce unemployment. The number of potential houses and office buildings that could be upgraded to solar is enormous, creating enormous potential for companies that specialize in solar energy production. American solar energy is bound to see a huge increase in coming years. Right now, total electrical production from solar energy in the US is around 1% of all energy consumed. That number will rise substantially as more solar panels are installed.

Greentech industry leaders are extremely happy about current legislation that is encouraging green collar job creation.

“We’re pleased about everything that happened — the solar energy incentives plus the green jobs bills,” said Mike Mattioli of Consolidated Solar Technologies. “When you look at the number of renewable energy bills that passed in the aggregate it gives you reassurance that our legislators are not just talking the talk — they’re walking the walk too.”

The current climate is a positive one for alternative energy companies. Since oil prices have dropped, less investment dollars are flowing into alternative energy companies so direct stimulation by the government comes a time when these companies might have been slacking off in the past. The US government plans on creating the demand by stimulating the market through “green” upgrades of government owned office buildings as well as by passing legislation that is favorable to green industries.

American solar energy has never experienced a more positive time than now. This may very well be remembered as the “Golden Era” of solar energy in the United States.

In the last few posts about solar energy, we’ve taken a look at the theoretical applications of energy derived from the Sun. Now let’s look at a practical issue. What is the viability of using solar energy for your home? As solar energy is such a big part of the Obama Energy Plan, what will it take to install solar energy in people’s houses?

Efficient home design is the key to building solar energy friendly homes

One of the most obvious areas where homes can use solar energy is if they’re designed with the Sun in mind. New or existing homes can also have solar energy collectors installed which helps store the Sun’s natural energy. A combination of natural lighting and energy collectors can generally sufficiently supply a home’s energy needs.

In areas that receive a lot of sunlight, excess energy can be collected and stored for use on a daily basis. A typical solar energy system can run from $10,000 to $40,000. Depending on your electrical budget, this could be paid off by you living in the house long enough.

“Although the up-front costs of conversion are not insignificant (a typical household system can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $40,000), the energy generated will meet all or part of your future energy needs, lowering your utility bills and helping to pay for the initial cost of the system over time. In fact, homes that generate more power than they need and remain connected to the energy grid may actually put that extra energy into the grid and receive a rebate from the local electric company”

Certainly that’s the best case scenario and the one you should be looking for if you’re considering making a large investment into the solar energy for your home arena. If you live in an area where sunlight is abundant and your local utility company will pay you for excess electricity than you produce, installation of a solar energy system might be extremely attractive.

Obama Energy Plan hopes lower cost of solar energy will encourage widescale adoption

Electrical production from solar energy is a big part of the Obama Energy Plan, so you can expect that homeowner’s will be looking at a large range of incentives in the next few years to convert their homes to solar energy production.

Check out the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency to see what incentives your state has. When the final details of the Obama Energy Plan are finally worked out, a combination of tax rebates and incentives that make solar energy installations extremely affordable are likely.

Lower prices should serve as the catalyst to put solar energy production into overdrive. Obama has touted several figures of potential employment created by the surge in the solar power industry, but mainly he appears to be speculating. In any event, a large scale deployment of technology like this one will spark an increase in demand as well as increased hiring.

The push towards wind and solar energy will also serve to lower greenhouse gas emissions which are contributing to global warming. Obama hopes to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by ensuring that 10% of all US energy consumption comes from renewable sources by 2012.

If you have been considering solar energy for your home, now is an excellent time to begin your search in earnest. Technology is advancing, prices are becoming more affordable, and the government is offering plans to make such an installation pay off in the form of a long term investment.

Tapping the energy of the sun is an idea that has always appealed to man. Since the earliest of times, man has aspired to harness the enormous energy producing capacity of our solar system’s sun. Now the dream is a reality in many places, and solar energy production is likely to grow enormously in the next several years. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of solar energy.

Cons of solar energy

1. Cost. The single biggest barrier to deploying solar energy throughout the USA is the cost. That’s likely to change due to stimulus from the Obama Energy Plan. As more solar panels are produced and installed, the cost of deployment will fall. As the price falls, adoption of the technology increases. Since solar energy is such a big part of the new “green jobs” push, we will most likely see price drops. But for now, the price of solar installations can be prohibitive.
2. Certain geographic areas don’t get enough sunlight to effective produce solar energy.
3. Bad weather hurts solar energy production efficiency. Areas with poor weather that changes frequently might experience difficulty producing enough solar energy.
4. Solar energy production is affected by pollution. In areas with high levels of pollution this could quickly turn into a major headache. If this dimming gets bad enough, it could be “lights out” for solar energy production in the worst areas. “But airborne particles also scatter light that does get through, and that diffuse light cannot be used by solar energy concentrating systems that produce electricity, Daniel Murphy, a scientist at NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colo., reported in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.”

Pros of solar energy

1. Solar energy is renewable and sustainable. The production of solar energy does not contribute to greenhouse gas emissions or contribute to climate change.
2. Solar energy production is quiet. There is not a lot of attendant noise caused by producing solar energy.
3. Solar energy is very effective in areas with high degrees of sunlight. In areas that aren’t blessed with strong natural sun, solar energy technology is rapidly improving. With improvements to storage capacity, the weather will become less of a factor.
4. The solar energy industry can produce jobs. The jobs are not necessarily demanding of great training, so people who are out of work can be re-trained relatively quickly into the “green jobs” offered by the solar energy industry.
5. The cost of electrical production through solar energy is low. The initial startup cost can be expensive, but once you’re up and running the savings on electricity tend to be enormous.

President Barack Obama is sold on the capability of solar energy production. He’s made increasing the solar energy industry into one of the mainstays of his energy policy. For that reason alone the technology is guaranteed to proliferate massively in the next few years.

Solar energy is clean, proven, and can create badly needed jobs right now as the United States re-tools for a “green future.”

Obama has stated that he wants the USA to double the amount of alternative energy production in the next three years. SEIA President Rhone Resch says that the recession is taking a big bite out of solar energy installations, but that could change quickly with a big enough push by the federal government.

“That is going require a substantial ramp up in the use of solar and that doesn’t just happen organically,” he said. If the ramp up occurs, the future is very bright indeed for solar energy.

Solar and wind energy are closer than ever to reaching its’ potential, despite some obvious roadblocks. One of the biggest challenges facing solar and wind energy adoption are lower oil prices. As crude oil prices have dropped significantly in the past six months, demand for alternative energy investment dwindles. Solar and wind energy have been two growth industries in recent years, although the credit crisis is currently battering them. Demand for solar panels and wind turbines had been growing at a record pace, until the financial crisis caught up with homeowners.

“I thought if there was any industry that was bulletproof, it was that industry,” said Rich Mattern, the mayor of West Fargo, N.D.

Growth in the wind and solar industries were greatest when big lenders will still making loans to homeowners. As the credit crisis worsened, this source of financing quickly dried up. Not only did the capital for home improvements dry up, but so did funding for the manufacturers of the equipment. Currently the market descriptions are described as frozen.

OptiSolar, Ausra, Heliovolt and Sun Power have all announced layoffs in recent months, which serves as a stark reminder that demand is drying up.

Building wind farms is a business with high costs and huge capital requirements. With so many lenders unwilling, or unable, to provide funds, the future prospects are dimming. Solar energy tends to require a large upfront investment from homeowners that has traditionally been provided by banks. Expecting homeowners to dig into their own savings to finance alternative energy upgrades is unlikely in the current environment.

Still, there are some signs that the growth might continue. In 2008, the US became the world’s largest producer of wind energy.

“Global wind energy capacity grew by 28.8% last year, even higher than the average over the past decade, to reach total global installations of more than 120.8 GW at the end of 2008. Over 27 GW of new wind power generation capacity came online in 2008, 36% more than in 2007. “

Now fans of alternative energy are waiting to see what the so-called stimulus plan bring the economy in the way of tax credits or increased capital. Barack Obama has promised to bring a green economy to the United States, but so far hasn’t offered details on exactly what that means. As the stimulus package makes it way through Congress, more information about alternative energy is likely to become available.

Alternative energy for the home is becoming more readily available

Providing our own home energy needs from an alternative source is becoming more appealing to people in modern times. Lots of folks are aware of the problems related to coal energy and are looking for alternatives.

Some of the alternative energy sources for the home are:

1. Solar energy – Solar energy is popular in areas where the sun shines nearly constantly. Solar energy has proven to be effective for many people, but solar energy systems tend to be pricey upfront.
2. Wind turbines – Wind turbines are catching on in many parts of the world where wind is common. Some wind turbines can be built with subsidies and the energy can be sold to a whole supplier. Wind turbines tend to offer some attractive features to homeowners.
3. Water turbines – small systems designed to work in tandem with solar energy in areas where rainfall is common.

Disadvantages of Alternative Energy for the home

1. Initial price is always the main deterrent. It costs a good bit of money to install solar panels or wind turbines. The high cost of startup is the main issue cited by consumers who don’t end up using alternative energy for their homes.
2. Solar panels and wind turbines are BIG. You need quite a bit of room to install these systems and make them work.
3. The sun and wind aren’t always friendly partners when it comes to making energy.

Advantages of alternative energy in the home

1. Alternative energy is clean and renewable. This type of energy is much better for the environment.
2. Energy is free after your initial purchase. Once the setup is done and you know have energy to burn. In some cases, you might even have a surplus you can resell.
3. Alternative energy produces no greenhouse gas emissions so the environment will be better for your investment.

It’s important to think of purchasing alternative energy equipment for your home as making an investment in the future. You will spend more upfront, in most cases, but you’ll be contributing to a cleaner world, and you’ll be saving money from then on. If more and more people start using these type of green technologies for the home, it will drive overall pricing down as unit sales increases. When the price becomes low enough, everyone will have solar and wind energy in their homes and people will be much more reliant on energy monopolies to provide them with service.

One good thing has emerged from the world’s recent bout with high energy prices: it seems that alternative energy is becoming a more affordable option. As investors seek higher profits from the energy sector, faster growing segments like solar are becoming more interesting. We’ve even seen the announcement of the nation’s first solar energy retail store chain.

David Bonta, the founder and president of USA Solar Store based in Perkinsville, is building a national chain of independently owned stores that promote energy efficiency and sustainable living. His company sells conservation and power generation products – solar hot water systems, point-of-use heaters, corn and wood pellet stoves and composting toilets – wholesale to retail outlets.

This type of interest is exactly what’s needed in order to help citizens make the switch to sustainable energy. There’s no question consumers will do it naturally when price points near traditional energy costs.

There are more signs than ever that such a shift is happening.

California has always had a high demand for energy, especially in the summertime. With demand for electricity always on the rise, OptiSolar is laying the ground work for a $1 billion dollar 550 Megawatt Photovoltaic solar farm in San Luis Obispo County, California.

The Topaz Solar Farm in the Carrisa Plains is expected to generate enough power for 190,000 “average use” homes in the area. The amount of emissions this solar farm will reduce is equal to taking 900,000 cars off the road. OptiSolar’s technology is quiet and doesn’t require moving parts to produce electricity.

The state of California requires that utilities secure at least 20% of their power from renewable energy sources by 2010. The State is looking to increase this to 33% by 2020, so there is definitely plenty of room for OptiSolar to make a difference.

OptiSolar has a number of Solar Farm projects in Canada, including Toronto.

This is the last post in our renewable energy sources. This time we take a look at Solar energy. Solar energy has long been an intriguing idea for man, seeing as how the Sun is the center of our galaxy, and is a source of immense, and seemingly inexhaustible power.

The term “solar energy” means energy from the Sun that is stored in usable form by a process called photovoltaics. The application of Solar energy is already widespread, because the Sun has been considered in architectural and construction issues since the very beginning. Since the Sun has always been essential to mankind’s survival, it’s one resource that has undergone much research.

The Advantages of Solar Energy

1) Solar technology is noiseless. Unlike other renewable energy sources we’ve looked at, solar energy panels don’t make noise.
2) Solar energy is sustainable. You can store Solar energy, without hurting the Sun in anyway. When you wake up the next day, the Sun will still be there.
3) Solar energy is clean energy, producing no greenhouse gas emissions. Solar energy does not have a negative impact on global warming.
4) Solar energy is free. Yes, you’ll have to spend money to purchase equipment to store the energy, but the cost of the energy itself is totally free.
5) Solar energy reduces the dependence on foreign oil

The Disadvantages of Solar Energy

1) Solar energy tends to be expensive, due to the initial investment in equipment.
2) Solar energy doesn’t work at night.
3) Some areas are not well suited to Solar energy due to being cloudy or overcast.
4) Solar panels tend to take up a lot of room, and installations are ineffective in many cases.

Solar energy has been gaining in popularity. However, some homeowner’s groups won’t even allow solar energy panels to be installed, so it’s up to cities and local governments to implement many changes to their bureaucracy.

The growth of solar takes careful planning, like that currently happening in Ontario. A number of Canadian companies have been studying the feasability of using exclusive solar power in Ontario, despite that province having many gray days. They’ve determined that the size of the solar installation is the key component to their success.

“Considering our sun, the minimum size where solar can break even is one megawatt,” says Sidhu. “The cost to produce energy per kilowatt hour is almost half as efficient as in a place like California.”

One thing the folks in Ontario are working on is a way for homeowners with solar panels to pump excess energy back into a central grid. This energy could theoretically be stored, or sold to others to help reduce the cost of equipment. With enough success, this type of plan could be replicated in many less sunny places, ensuring the growth of solar energy.

Solar energy is quickly becoming ready for prime time. There’s a growing interest in the technology from both the private and public sectors, and the underlying technology is quickly improving. Depending on how fast certain centralized grids can be developed, the growth of solar energy could achieve a boom period. In Germany and other countries, solar power has become increasingly important.

Continued from Renewable Energy Sources – Part 4 – Wind. Or you can start at the beginning: Renewable Energy Sources – Part One – Biomass