Solar Energy – Research and Development

In the foreseeable future solar energy may be a common alternative to fossil fuel generated power. It is predicted by some experts that, within the next few years, the climbing demand for solar power will begin to drive down the generation costs. At that point it will become more viable to convert to solar power.

Although previous predictions have been that solar heat will be more affordable to the masses within 10 years. This no longer seems to be the case. The public pressure mounted on governments, combined with the will of the scientific community, during the recent oil price volatility appears enough to have put development of reliable, affordable alternative into the spotlight.

The source is reliable. It rises every morning and sets every night. A side benefit for building owners that have incorporated solar power into the power supply is increased property values. In addition to increased value, the property owner also enjoys quiet solar generation of electricity, an unlimited source of energy, the satisfaction of knowing that they are contributing to the health of the environment, and they get paid for the surplus electricity that they generate.

Heliostats, plate collectors, and photovoltaic cells are presently being used to collect the sun’s energy by either tracking the sun’s movement or installing the panels in areas that have maximum exposure to sunlight. Research and development is often stimulated by other discoveries and the field of solar energy is no exception. One can only wonder at the technologies that may make their way to market in the next few years

Currently there is a polymer foil being developed. This foil is 200 times lighter than the regular glass collecting plates and it is paper-thin. If this and other inventions prove to be effective and get released to the market, we could see the costs of solar panels drop. The material that is used for heat collection is glass-based and requires expensive substrates. The weight means that additional support is needed. The properties of the lightweight foil mean that it could be attached to the walls of a building.

With confidence in the polymer foil, development a solar cell made of plastic is being underway. Nanotechnology has entered the solar energy development arena. The properties of this plastic allows it to collect solar energy even on overcast days. Harnessing the sun’s infrared rays increases the efficiency of the solar power system to approximately five times that of the capability of current technology.

Plastic is not a new addition to the materials used in solar energy collection however this particular composite has only recently been found to capture the infrared portion of the sun’s rays. While plastic materials for harnessing the power of the sun are not new, it is only recently that this plastic composite could harvest the infrared portion. Capturing infrared reds moves development of solar energy forward rapidly.

Currently, only 6% of the sun’s energy can be harnessed by the best plastic solar cells. With more development and study, the expectation is that solar cells made from this plastic could potentially harness up to 30% of sun’s energy.

There seems to be agreement between researchers and scientists that solar farms will have the ability to harness enough solar energy to meet all of our electric needs. When this happens, electric bills will see a dramatic drop in cost. Presently solar generated electricity is 3 to 4 times more per kilowatt-hour than conventional electricity. This will change in the future as technology gets more effective.

The polymer foil and flexible plastic composite are just two of the most promising developments on the horizon. We could actually see a world free of its dependency on fossil fuels in our lifetime. That benchmark will mean that our planet can heal and our environment will become safer.