Solar Energy

►The amount of Solar thermal collectors shipped in the U.S. increased by 23% in 2004, totaling 14.1 million ft^2

►13.1 million ft^2 is used for domestic purposes

►5 watt panel=$129.00                                        

   33 watt panel=$279.99

    3.1 kW panel=$24,399   OR 13 usable kilowatt-hours per day

                        -It would take 25.71 years to equal the cost of electricity at 20 cents per kWh

►On a bright, sunny day, the sun shines approximately 1,000 watts of energy per square meter of the planet's surface

►The most a solar panel could absorb is around 25% of the suns energy, more likely 15% or less

►The solar panels consist of deep-cycle batteries, which last for longer periods of time than regular batteries (lead-acid/nickel-cadmium batteries) which last for about 20 years

►There is currently a worldwide panel shortage. With the shortage of refined Silicon and other factors

TYPES OF PANELS

• Monocrystalline - made from a single large crystal, cut from ingots. Most efficient, but also the most expensive. Somewhat better in low light conditions (but not as good as some advertising hype would have you believe).
• Polycrystalline - basically, cast blocks of silicon which may contain many small crystals. This is probably the most common type right now. Slightly less efficient than single crystal, but once set into a frame with 35 or so other cells, the actual difference in watts per square foot is not much.
• Amorphous - "thin film", here the silicon is spread directly on large plates, usually of something like stainless steel. Cheaper to produce, but often much less efficient, which means larger panels for the same power. Unisolar is one example.
• Vaporware - this is the 4th type - the one that pops up in the news about every 3 months, proclaiming the next major breakthrough that will make plastic spray on solar cells that will cost around 5 cents a watt, or some similar claim. Well, after almost 30 years in this business, we are still waiting for one of those to actually reach production, and I suspect we will be waiting for another 30.