Solar Power Systems

Solar power systems have been around for a long time. When the technology first became available solar cells where heralded to be the end of the oil crisis and the energy crisis. People thought we were suddenly going to have plentiful free energy, all of it coming from the sun. Within ten years solar power systems were predicted to heat and power our homes and businesses. Some people even thought we would be driving solar-powered cars soon, with long, sleek shapes covered with solar panels.

Solar power has been around even longer. It has ben used in some form or another for over 100 years. The solar panels that everyone is so excited about recently is really a modern invention. These are techinically called phovoltais solar cells. They take in the energy from the sun and make electricty directly through the use of semiconductors. We all hope that one day our roof will have solar panels on it to capture the sun's energy and convert it electricity we can iuse for our home. Many people are doing just that today, but the cost is still rather high. It takes quite a few years, even despite government subsidies, to recoup the cost of the panels and converting all that solar energy into electricity.

The problem is solar panels are still rather expensive to manufacture, and unless you have a lot of panels exposed to a lot of sunlight, solar power systems didn't produce very much power. Things are definitely improving. There are many more companies researching and developing new solar products. With further refinement, solar power systems may become cost efective enough to power your whole house, including that battery powered car that needs charging every night! I really hope I see the day when this plentiful and cleanm supply of energy is harnessed for our power needs.

Though solar panels still absorb solar energy when it's cloudy outside, they absorb much more energy and therefore produce more power if they're exposed to direct sunlight. Solar power systems are therefore much more effective in Tucson, AZ, then they are in Seattle, WA. Yes I realize this is obvious. But if you are in a location that does not get much sunlight it will be tough to transition to solar power systems. Which brings us to the other problem; solar power systems produce more power during longer days, so short Alaskan winter days aren't very good for solar systems. The ideal environment is in the desert, with long days and little cloud cover. But not many people actually live in the desert. At least not the majority of people.

The technology has to mature to the point where the panels can absorb the solar energy that is available. The technology has to work efficiently and quickly. There are a lot of companies at work to make the dream of solar power systems a reality to homes and businesses affordable. You only have ot look at recent solar power system companies stock recently (April 2008) to see just how lucrative the solar power busines has become. Alternative fuel sources have become an easier sale with the price of oil over $100/barrel.

To be effective, solar power systems do not need to power an entire business community or even provide all of the power for a private residence. You might not realize but solar power systems are much more efficient at heating water than they are at producing power. Solar energy has been used to heat water for well over a hundred years. Heck probably more like hundreds of years. Since standard hot water heaters can consume over a third of a house's energy, replacing a gas-powered hot water heater with a solar powered heater can reduce a home's energy bill considerably, as well as making the owners eligible for a tax cut in select states.

Solar power systems are also very useful for providing power in locations which are hard to reach with standard power lines. They're extensively used for cell phone towers and other reflective antenna arrays located on mountaintops and other hard to reach places. Since these installations don't require a great deal of power or maintenance to run, solar panels can provide plenty of power without needing to be maintained or refueled. Though we're probably still quite a ways from a completely solar-powered society, we'll likely see many more solar powered devices as solar technology becomes more refined and more efficient. The cost of solar power systems has to come down for it to be an effective source of power as well.