Solar Energy
Overview
Solar energy is the ultimate renewable energy. Clean, plentiful and thanks to today’s technologies, easy to harvest. Every single day enough solar energy strikes the planet to meet the world’s energy needs for four to five years. In an era where global warming and CO2 buildup are of critical concern, solar energy can become an incredibly valuable solution for helping to protect our planet.
Solar energy systems are often classified into two categories, passive and active. A passive solar system uses the light and heat from the sun directly for both heating, cooling and lighting. The best potential for passive solar approaches is if you are building a new home and can design your home from the beginning to leverage the power of the sun. However, even existing homes can be retrofitted to better leverage passive heating and cooling.
Active solar systems are those that involve the active use of technology to harvest the energy of the sun. This includes the use of both photovoltaic panels to capture the sun (PV) as well as home solar hot water systems. There have been extraordinary strides in solar panels in the last 10 years. Solar cells have become more efficient and less costly to produce which makes them an even greater value than they were a few years ago. There have also been great strides in our ability to install and implement PV technology as contractors and builders have begun to treat PV as a mainstream building technology.
Growth Catalysts
Among industrialized countries, the German and Japanese governments have led the way in legislating high incentives to stimulate development of their domestic solar markets. The German feed-in tariff model has been increasingly used in countries around Europe, including Italy and France. As a result, the industry structure has evolved, leading to strong distributor and dealer networks with well-trained installers and good customer support capabilities. Government policy is designed to reduce CO2 emissions via solar deployment and to create high-tech jobs through the development of a strong national solar industry. In the United States, utilities have played a stronger role in market development.
Overall, regional solar energy demand where the solar energy is connected to the electricity grid is driven by the following:
- Incentive programs led by national or state governments: Subsidies allow customers/investors to gain a financial return on the PV system by selling solar electricity at preferential rates.
- Enthusiasm of customers for green energy, especially solar
- Local electricity tariffs: High electricity rates encourage alternative sources of energy.
- Sunlight conditions: Solar electricity prices fall as sunlight levels increase.
- Marketing strategies by solar companies
- Delivery infrastructure, which is the number of local suppliers and qualified installers
In developing countries, markets have benefited from the steady decline in solar PV prices, but they have also been stimulated by continued multi-lateral and bi-lateral development aid. This has meant that solar has been an enabling technology for developmental programs for education, clean water, and healthcare.
Market Analysis
Solar electric energy demand has grown by an average 30% per annum over the past 20 years against a backdrop of rapidly declining costs and prices. This decline in cost has been driven by economies of manufacturing scale, manufacturing technology improvements, and the increasing efficiency of solar cells. In 2009, the photovoltaic solar industry generated $38.5 billion in revenues globally, which includes the sale of solar modules and associated equipment, and the installation of solar systems. PV installations equaled 7.3 GW in 2009, up 20% from 2008. Various forecast scenarios predict demand rising up to 37 GW by the year 2014, more than five times the size of the 2009 market.
The 2010 global solar photovoltaic (PV) market size soared past the forecasts of the previous year, allowing prices throughout the PV chain to hold up much better than anticipated. Worldwide PV market installations reached a record high of 18.2 GW in 2010, representing growth of 139% Y/Y. The PV industry generated $82 billion in global revenues in 2010, up 105% Y/Y from $40 billion in 2009. Meanwhile, worldwide solar cell production reached 20.5 GW in 2010, up from 9.86 GW in 2009.
Product Details
Thin Film Photovoltaic Cells
By far, the most prevalent bulk material for solar cells is crystalline silicon, which has physical appearance and characteristics of rigid glass. Most solar cells in use today are made of this material and are heavy and stiff. In recent years, solar cells have been made by a new process and are referred to as ‘thin film photovoltaic cells’. In contrast to the traditional style, these cells are thin, lightweight and flexible. As a result, these thin film cells can be used in a variety of applications where typical solar cells cannot. For example, thin film cells are ideal for uneven or curved surfaces, and they can be installed in areas where weight would be a concern. The thin film solar market is poised to grow rapidly worldwide in the next few years as these new applications are developed. The current opportunity we are presenting involves thin film photovoltaic cells, both inventory and manufacturing expertise.
Product Applications
Every project is unique and requires a significant amount of research in order to determine the best solar solution. As solar technologies progress there are numerous practical applications that become feasible. Some of these applications include:
- Commercial Rooftop Installations
- Solar power plant
- Residential applications
- Off-grid applications
- Landfill surfacing
- Signage power
- Transportation
- Mobile energy products
- Consumer device integration
