A Brighter Future with New Solar Panel Designs

The use of solar panels in residences has proved to be the best and most cost-efficient alternative for utility power. However, the use of solar power has yet to reach its full potential in the residential market.There are a number of companies that have already come up with more aesthetically-pleasing solar panel designs.

The use of solar panels in residences has proved to be the best and most cost-efficient alternative for utility power. However, the use of solar power has yet to reach its full potential in the residential market. Recent advances in technology can possibly change this, as the industry has seen opportunities to create solar panels with new designs, in terms of both aesthetics and functionality. 

Aesthetically-pleasing designs

Solar power has only recently been given a great deal of attention. As a result, residential homes built 10, 20, or 30 years ago were not constructed in such a way that solar panels could be later added if the resident family decides to install some. 

Previously, solar panels were very thick and had to be mounted with out-of-place brackets on top of existing roofs. Fortunately, the solar panel manufacturer industry has recently realized that poor aesthetics is one of the main reasons why solar power has not completely made its way into the residential market. 

New panels are hardly noticeable. The tiles are seamlessly integrated into the existing roofs of residential homes, which achieve a very elegant look. The rise in number of solar installations in the U.S. rose by an amazing 45% in 2007 is widely attributed to the creation of more aesthetically-pleasing panel designs.

There are a number of companies that have already come up with more aesthetically-pleasing solar panel designs. The Sun Power Corporation, for example, the leading U.S. solar panel manufacturer, has created some panels that are compatible with Mediterranean-styled clay tiles and flat roof tiles. Lumeta, another manufacturer, has design panels that are awaiting industry certification. 

The panels made by both Sun Power and Lumeta are made from silicon. The market will soon see thinner panels made of copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS). As of now, however, such panels are less efficient than the currently existing silicon ones. Sometime in the near future, these thin-film panels are expected to dominate residential use by becoming a standard part of the building process.

Highly functional designs

One example of a new, more functional solar panel design is that recently designed by the Georgia Tech Research Institute. This innovative design allows the panels to absorb more sunlight, enabling them to produce up to 60 times more current. This new design makes use of nano-towers that add significant surface area to the solar panels, giving the particles of light from the sun more chances to strike the part of the cell that produces electricity. 

However, these new panels still have a couple of kinks yet to be worked out. These new panel designs have too much resistance in their cells, resulting in an inability to generate the kind of electricity needed. 

Jud Ready, senior research engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute and creator of this new solar panel design, is determined to work on the design and modify its features to resolve the difficulties within it. The US Air Force is currently partially sponsoring the research in high hopes that these smaller and more efficient solar panels will replace old, bulky ones and can eventually be used to power satellites and spacecrafts in the future.

About the Author

John Mahoney is a freelance author who writes about various technology related subjects including  solar panel . For more information about John visit his website:www.techstore.ie 

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How It's Made - Solar Panels

How Do Solar Panels Work? Use Homemade Solar Panels and Cells

With the fact that electric bills nowadays have reached outrageous heights, people have been searching for a way to generate electricity that would result to more savings. There is actually one solution and that is through the use of solar power, specifically through the so called solar panels. Most people, upon reading this, would definitely say: "Great!" but then again, for people who are not that crazy about Science, the question: "How do Solar Panels work?" will definitely arise.

Solar panels actually work in a simple way ---their job is to make sure that the light from the sun is converted into useable energy. How do they do this? The answer lies in that element called Silicon. Electrons are found in silicon atoms; silicon atoms in turn can bond with other silicon atoms in order to share electrons which are an important component of solar panels.
Take note though that the said element (Silicon) still has to be mixed with something else in order to successfully generate electricity. This is where sunlight comes in. Photons that are found in the sun, when combined with silicon would result to the creation of electricity. Many solar cells are needed, however, for a great amount of electricity to be produced and for that produced electricity to last long.

If you think that having solar panels in your homes are impossible, then you'll be glad to know that there are solar panel kits out in the market nowadays made by a number of manufacturers that are very easy to use. Those kits even include inverters which are tools that would make the solar panels' produced power into forms that are applicable for home use.

You can build and install your homemade solar panels and cells, but there are a lot of factors that would affect how solar panels work such as the angle of the roof of your house, whether you have trackers for your panels to be able to face towards every direction of the sun, etc.

Learning about how solar panels work would more often than not encourage people to rely on solar power. Today's modern times even show that homes are not the only ones that benefit from solar power. Lighthouses, traffic signs, street lights, and a lot more now use solar power, not only to conserve energy but also because of the reliability it provides plus the fact that solar power only requires a bit of maintenance.

Now that you have ideas on how solar panels work and the many advantages they offer, you can now search for ways to make your home harness solar power and see the amazing things it can do for you, for the environment, and for your wallet.

Did you know that it is very possible now to build your own solar powered home easily and with little cost? You can help save the environment and also your wallet.

Visit this site now http://www.FullEarth4EnergyReview.com to find out on how to do this and to find out the many other advantages you do not know about solar energy.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alrey_Cruz

Home Solar Panel Savings

There are many advantages of installing home solar panels on your roof, and not all of them are to do with saving the planet. Lower utility bills, energy independence, maybe some future carbon credit sales, the list is pretty hefty. The trouble is that your wallet isn't going to be so hefty if you go down the normal route of employing professionals to set you up with a complete system, which can cost US$3000 and up. Luckily there are some great ways to get around burning a hole in your pocket.

If you live in Europe there are plenty of government incentives for setting up a solar panel system. You can find out about these incentives by checking your state a federal government environment ministry website. For those of us who don't live in Europe it's a little trickier.
In the USA, solar panel laws and incentives vary greatly from state to state. Some of the better states to be in this regard are Arizona, California, Delaware, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. Some of those listed offer up to $5.50/Watt rebates for energy independent households (that's a lot!), whilst some offer a tax credit on the total cost of the installed solar energy system. In New York state this is a 25% tax credit. Again, you'll have to check with your local governing body for exact details.

Knowing that there are so many ways to decrease the cost of installing solar panels is a great incentive to take action now. A popular alternative for having solar panels professionally installed is to build your own solar panel. All it really takes is an easy to obtain guide (you can get them instantly and cheap on the Internet), a few materials from the local hardware store, and some time (1 day, 2 days maybe). Many have found this to be a great alternative, and the least expensive homemade panels can cost as little as $150.

If you're serious about building your own solar panels or wind turbines, check out this how to build a solar panel review site, which has some more information and links to point you in the right direction.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Preston_Lore