← Back to “Energy” main page
Page Outline:
- Basic Facts
- Home Much Does It Cost?
- Solar Panels
- Solar Heating
- Future of Solar Power
- What Is Washington Doing?
- Sources
Basic Facts
- According to the US Department of Energy, an area of desert 15 miles by 10 miles in the Southwestern United States could yield 20,000 megawatts of power.1 To put this in perspective, an active solar power facility in California that is only producing 150 megawatts of energy is providing electricity to nearly 150,000 homes.2 20,000 megawatts, therefore, has the potential to provide electricity to over 20 million homes.
- In the year 2007, 6% of the United State’s energy production came from non-hydro renewables. Of this 6%, only 1.8% was solar energy.3
How Much Does It Cost?
According to a report by the United States Department of Energy, the price of electricity generated by solar technology is 21-38 cents.4 This price does not take into account, however, possible government subsidies or tax credits.
Solar Panels
If you are thinking of installing solar panels on your home, use one of the web’s many solar calculators such as the one found at findsolar.com These calculators will help you determine your local solar installation costs, the energy benefits you will receive, and possible state or federal tax credits available to you.
Solar Heating
If you are interested in learning about the costs/benefits of solar powered water heaters, visit the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s “Financial Considerations” webpage.
Future of Solar Technology
Nano Solar
Watch this public broadcasting video to learn more about the development of nano solar technology.
Watch this Reuters Video to learn about the future of the solar industry.
Solar Technologies
| Photovoltaics | Concentrating Solar Power |
|---|---|
| Basics | Basics |
| * Photovoltaics is the technology which converts solar energy into electricity. This process is called the photoelectric effect (”PV Physics”). * Photovoltaic cells is the proper name for solar cells (”PV Physics”). * Three of the most common materials from which solar cells are made are silicon, polycrystalline, and single-crystalline ("Solar Cell Materials"). * POV installations grew by 40% in the United States between 2006 and 2007 (Beckert). | * "CSP plants produce power by first using mirrors to focus sunlight to heat a working fluid. Ultimately, this high-temperature fluid is used to spin a turbine or power an engine that drives a generator. " (“Concentrating Solar Power Basics”). * This technology has achieved "world-record solar-to-electric conversion efficiencies" (“Concentrating Solar Power Basics”). * This technology overcomes the cloudy day/night problem of solar energy by storing energy thermally. |
| The United States Department of Energy is working"to reduce the average cost of all grid-tied PV systems from $6.25/watt to $3.30/watt for end users" ("Photovoltaic Research"). | |
| To learn if solar panels are right for your roof visit this USDE webpage. | |
| Click here for more info. | Click here for more info. |
What Is Washington Doing?
Tax Credits For Solar Consumers
The following excerpt is taken from an EnergyStar.gov webpage.
Tax credits are available for qualified solar water heating and photovoltaic systems. The credits are available for systems “placed in service” from January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2016. The tax credit is for 30% of the cost of the system, up to $2,000. This credit is not limited to the $500 home improvement cap.5
How much are we already spending annually on solar power?
$148 million was allocated to solar R&D in the 2008 Federal Budget 6
U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Program:
What are the benefits?
The following information is taken from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Program website.7
- Increasing energy reliability and security by domestic production of a solar energy supply, which promotes economic growth
- Adding 250,000 new jobs for America in the solar industry
- Saving $100 billion per year for industry and businesses by averting power outages
- Improving air quality, especially for children and the elderly, by using a clean, non-polluting fuel source
- Reducing carbon emissions by 23 million metric tons per year by 2030
What does the government hope to accomplish through this program?
This program was created with the intention of furthering research and development on the “two solar electric technologies with the greatest potential to reach cost competitiveness by 2015.”8
The two technologies that this quote refers to are photovoltaics (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP). Below is a table describing the two technologies. All of the information provided in the table, unless otherwise cited, comes from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Program website.
← Back to “Energy” main page
Sources
- “Solar History Timeline: The Future.” U.S. Department of Energy: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. 05 Jan. 2006. U.S. Department of Energy, Web. 26 June 2008. ↩
- “Solar History Timeline: The Future.” ↩
- Beckert, Elizabeth and Anne Jakle. United States. U.S. Department of Energy. Renewable Energy Data Book, Print. 2008. ↩
- Beckert and Jakle. ↩
- “Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency.” EnergyStar.gov. U.S. Department of Energy & U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Web. 12 Oct. 2008. ↩
- “Department of Energy.” Office of Management and Budget. 2008. U.S. Department of Energy, Web. 12 Oct. 2008. ↩
- “About the Program.” U.S. Department of Energy: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. 24 Oct. 2006. U.S. Department of Energy, Web. 12 Oct. 2008. ↩
- “About the Program.” ↩
