price of solar panels
Necessity is the Mother of all invention. Solar power, the most abundant and renewable energy source on Earth, is set to receive a major face lift. While solar power has been available for thousands of years, it has only been utilized for energy production for the last few decades. Unfortunately, the disadvantages of solar power has limited its usage as a primary energy source, forcing us to rely on fossil fuels instead. The main disadvantage is cost; with a solar system ranging anywhere from $2000- 30,000. Efficiency, reliability, and the storage of excess energy have been major drawbacks as well. That’s all about to change.
Cost is the main disadvantage to implementing solar power on a large scale. The price of solar power systems is vastly inflated, thus preventing most Americans from implementing their own. For example, the PowerCube 600, which produces 3,500 volts-amps constantly is sufficient for a small American home. But the $25,000 price tag puts it beyond the reach of the average consumer. A solar panel that produces 120 watts can cost as much as $500. There are dozens of sites on-line offering inexpensive DIY solar panels for as little as $200, as long as you’re willing to build and install them yourself. One such site, cheaphome-energy.homestead.com offers a comprehensive do-it-yourself guide covering the building and installation of both solar panels and wind turbines.
Whether you build it yourself or have it professionally installed, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is a major resource to cutting the cost. Homeowners that “go green” are eligible for a 30% federal tax credit toward the investment of energy-efficient upgrades, including installation. To qualify for these tax credits, the products must meet the requirements set by the Department of Energy. To find out more visit, www.energy.gov/taxbreaks.htm or energystar.gov.
Efficiency is another problem with solar power. Traditional solar panels are only about 15% efficient, compared to coal power with an average efficiency of 40%. Given the intermittent production of solar power, and the consistent production of coal it is difficult to imagine solar replacing coal in the near future. But that too is going to change. The amount of sunlight that strikes a photovoltaic cell determines how much energy is produced. With the addition of reflective surfaces, such as mirrors, solar concentrators can improve the performance of solar panels, by 10% or more. Solar power windows are another promising advancement. RSi Energy Group developed the first transparent photovoltaic window, capable of producing 80-250 watts. The glass is heat resistant and can help reduce air conditioning costs by 50% or more.
The practical storage and release of energy during peak usage times relies heavily upon batteries. Dry cell batteries, such as lithium-ion, are rechargeable and up to five times as energy dense as a flow battery. Dry cell batteries release power steadily and are thus useful for small applications, such as a residential system. However with a limited number of recharges, up to a couple hundred times, dry cell batteries are ineffective for large scale applications. While it is not new, the vanadium redox flow (VR) battery is the revolution that solar power has been waiting for. VR’s absorb and release stored energy rapidly and can be recharged thousands of times. The cost of a vanadium redox battery is the main drawback, currently costing about $500 per kilowatt-hour of storage capacity. Availability is another problem. The main supplier to the US is VRB Power Systems, based in Vancouver, British Columbia. In the coming years, advances to vanadium redox batteries will make them affordable and help solar power become a primary energy source to the US.
by Josh Gauze
Homemade Solar Panel – How to make Solar Panel System for home
|
|
Solio Mono by Solio
$59.95 115167 Features: The solar cell is both durable and powerful for quick charging Integrated, rechargeable and replaceable lithium-ion battery can be charged with the sun or plug it in to a USB outlet Stores power up to one year Works with most mobile phones, MP3 players, PDA's and GPS's right out of the box (additional adapters are available) Specifications: Size: 47 x 13 x 85 inches Internal batt... |
|
|
Solar Cordless LED Grill Light
$29.99 Solar Cordless Grill Light eliminates guesswork from nighttime barbecuing. No electricity needed. Flipping burgers in the dark? Clip this Solar Cordless Grill Light to your grill to see precisely what you're doing and how your steaks, brats and chicken breasts are coming along. There's nothing to plug in, it takes just seconds to attach, and its flexible neck bends to any angle so you can zoom in ... |
|
|
Fi-Shock SS-440 Solar-Powered Low Impedance 10 Acre Medium-Duty Electric Fence Charger
$107.80 The Fi-Shock Solar Fence Controller controls up to 5 miles of electric fence! Recharges its 4 Volt battery with a high efficiency, built-in solar panel. Controller delivers more shocking power than ordinary fencers. Low impedance provides 1/3 less battery drain. U.S.A. Application: Fence controller, Works With: Electrical fences, Amps: 3, Battery Required: Yes, Solar Power Compatible: Yes, Dimensi... |
|
|
P3 International P4400 Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor
$29.99 Empowers You to Save Hundreds on Electric Bills Electricity bills are rising. Now you can cut down on costs and find out what appliances are actually worth keeping plugged in. Simply connect these appliances to the Kill A Watt, and it will assess how efficient they really are. The large LCD display counts consumption by the kilowatt-hour, the same as your local utility. You can calculate your elec... |
|
|
Cobra CPI-A4000BC 4-AWG Heavy-Duty AC Power Inverter Cable Kit
$24.80 Cobra power inverterbatt cnct cbls batt cnct cbls -10 red #4-gauge power cable -10 black #4-gauge ground cable -8 green #8-gauge chassis ground cable with terminal -battery terminals and tinned contacts...... |
|
|
Concept SL-100 32 LED Solar Security Light with Motion Detector
$41.16 Add low-maintenance security light with this motion sensor, solar powered outdoor light. Just position the panel in a sunny location. At night, the light will automatically turn on when motion is detected and turn off again after a user-defined timer setting. No wiring is required, making this ideal for remote or hard to light locations. Brightness is equivalent to a 20 watt bulb. White finish UV ... |
|
|
UPG UB645 Sealed Lead Acid Batteries
$5.06 UPG 85998/D5733 SEALED LEAD ACID BATTERIES (6V; 4.5 AH; UB645)... |
|
|
Goal Zero Guide 10 Plus Adventure Kit 19010
$119.85 GOAL ZERO_GUIDE 10 19010 GUIDE 10 PLUS ADVENTURE KIT... |
|
|
California Exotic Novelties Solar Bullet, Black
$17.06 Totally renewable, sun-powered vibrating stimulator ¦batteries not required. Eco-friendly, energy efficient multi-speed recharging solar cell with plug-in jack and LED charging indicator.Power-packed, versatile, slimline bullet with LED light on the tip. Extra long power cord. 61 minutes of play from an 8 hour charge. ABS (power cell) ABS with silver plating (silver bullet) ABS with PU Cote (blac... |
|
|
Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750
$52.99 Logitech Solar Wireless Keyboard 920-002912 Keyboards & Keypads... |
