News about Solar, Wind and alternative green power technologies

There are many who are for solar energy. However, solar power hasn’t been very cost effective for the recent decade. Now, innovative technology is bringing the price of solar energy down to competitive levels. It is leveling to other alternative sources of energy.

It is interesting to consider the idea of generating an unlimited and pollution-free power from the sun. However, decrease in the price of oil is staggering the progress of solar energy in countries such as the United States. Recently, solar energy costs around 25 to 50 cents per kilowatt-hour, which is estimated to be about 5 to 8 times more expensive than fossil fuel.

Politics & Solar Energy

Gary Gerber of the Berkeley, California-based Sun Light & Power says that solar energy initiatives were practically stopped when Ronald Reagan removed the solar collectors that had been installed by former president Jimmy Carter. This drastic maneuver was followed with all kinds of reduction in supporting solar energy and the industry entered a state of stagnation.

Thereafter, the Clinton administration came and supported solar energy. This pursuit was nevertheless neutralized in the era of George W. Bush. But, Bush administration was practically forced to raise the concern of alternative sources of energy. There were global pressures triggered through turmoil in oil price and climate change. In 2007, a budget of $148 million was proposed by the White house for the development of the solar industry. This represents a rise in 80 percent from the previous year.

Reasonable Price of Solar Energy

The price was always and is still the major obstacle for renewable energy to rule in the energy industry. There are institutions and expert engineers that are working on how to gradually improve efficiency of solar technology and make it as efficient as fossil fuels. A great innovator in the field was especially the California-based company, “Nanosolar”. They substituted the conventional technology with a thin film of copper, indium, gallium and selenium (GIGS)

The CIGS-based cells are much more flexible, durable and easier to install according Martin Roschisen from Nanosolar. A simple comparison is that if an electricity plant was to be built with CIGS-based technology, it would only cost around a tenth of a silicon-based solar cell plant.

However, Nanosolar isn’t alone in the field, California’s Miasolé and New York’s DayStar Technologies are also using CIGS-based solar cells.

There is another innovative approach known as ‘spray-on’ cells. It is sort of paint that can be sprayed on particular solar cell materials and the result is that even the sun’s infrared rays can be harnessed. Many specialists suggest that spray-on cells could practically multiply the efficiency of photovoltaic efficiency by 5 to 10 times.

According to Cleantech Venture Network, not only mechanical engineers and environmentalists are pushing renewable energy into the market. Millions of dollars are coming from venture capital. The industry is expanding with the support of not only governments but even populations of countries. This will certainly assure long-term commitment and widespread effort to bring solar energy beyond the efficiency level of fossil fuel.

Sources: Environment.com