Solar Power in the future?

Question

What would be a good way to make solar power more efficient and cheaper? How do you see it in the future?

Answer 1

Well, we'd have to invent a new technology altogether.

Right now, the most efficient solar cells are barely 20% efficient. Until recently, it took more energy to build a cell than it could produce during its entire life.

So, the question you're asking, while very simple, is actually very complicated from a technical point of view.

To give you an example of the problems we face. Solar cells work better at colder temperature. Yet, the sun is stronger in hotter countries... So, what do we do with that?

The only venue for solar power as we know it is for local production- say for a farm or a small village to ease the load on the main grid.

Answer 2

Read this link and I bet you will have a good idea of what is coming next. It is about an energy audit and how we will make the move to solar and other renewable products.

http://www.oynot.com/energy-audit.html

They will not make more solar panels then what is needed. If they do the price will go up because the plants will shut down because of no proffit in it. So then they would be hard to get again and the prices would go up. Just like with gas. If we have too much they quit pumping it out of the ground for a while to bring the prices up.

A couple of years back Evergreen solar found a way to make solar panels at half the cost and even bragged about it on the news. But if you check prices now you will find they are charging just as much as anyone else is. Why should they bring the prices down? They found a way to increase their cash flow. They would be dumb to cut the price being no one can get them cheaper anywhere else. No prices are not going to come down.

What will happen is they will increase taxes on or just the prices gas and other things. Till solar panels will be cheaper then the electric you buy from the grid so then everyone will buy solar panels then.

Prices on solar panels are not going to go down. They might stay the same while everything else goes up. So solar panels will be the lower cost way to go but not because of the price going down.

Answer 3

Cheaper will come from improvements in manufacturing techniques and increases in the number of units sold.

More efficient is a matter of technology. You can believe that this is being worked on now.

Solar modules operate more efficiency when they are cold. One researcher tried to find a way to incorporate a water heater in the back of a module. This would cool the module, and perhaps be used to supplement the household water heater and maybe heat the house.

Answer 4

Still discussing about solar energy?
In the 90´s solar energy grew from 0 to 2% of the energy production source in Spain. Since year 2000, spanish government released electricity market, therefore anybody can install a solar energy production plant and resell energy to traditional electricity operators. It has been very useful for factories who save energy and even get some extra money income.
Also many small villages are doing that. They have land, that is the only real issue for profitability.
Combined wind-solar plants (of any size) are even more profitable.

Few days ago, Australia hired a big spanish company (Acciona) to build a giant wind plant in Victoria192 MW, this plant will serve full energy to 143.000 homes at that state. It will save 750.000 tonnes of CO2. They said it will be the bigger in the world. That contract is 238 millions € (around 300 millions US$).

This company built an small plant in US: Nevada Solar One, 64 MW, and another in Saguaro (Arizona). It is a big success for them because oil lobby is very powerful in US. They claim to be the leader in renewable energies. But they compete against another spanish company, Abengoa, i don´t know who is bigger. Abengoa also builds plants worldwide and some even in your country.

Currently in Spain, solar energy serves over 3% of electricity demand and we expect it reaches over 8% in 2010 because a firm commitment between electricity operators, banks (for investment financement), engineering companies and government (tax reduction). Almost 3000 spanish people (not companies) invested almost 200 millions € (250 millions US$) in 2006 in solar plants in Spain. Business with no risk because electricity operators must buy your energy at the already agreed prices along the next 25 years (banks grant your money and lend between 80 and 90 % of your investment).

It is a huge business here today. And almost worldwide. And hopefully more in the future.

Answer 5

The only way to make solar power useful is to up the power. To do this we would have to collect the rays outside of our atmosphere and shoot that energy to the earth either through high flow towers or via microwave beams. The latter has obvious implications. Eitherway it is not really an answer.

Answer 6

We would have to mass produce panels first and then come up with a cheaper type of wiring between the panels and the water heater.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

Guide To Solar Power : http://Solar.eudko.com/?Jon