In this seventh blog post for GreenView Energy, we will look at some of the biggest innovations that are changing the solar industry.
The first innovation we want to talk about is the development of new hybrid-technologies. The belief that solar systems depend too much on the sun and that this does not allow households and businesses to be completely independent from the grid has been voiced for many years. However, this is less and less true. Hybrid-technologies combine different sources of renewable energy to guarantee alternative production sources when the sun is gone. These are, for instance, the new turbine-solar production systems that combine both solar and wind energy (see more HERE and HERE) or the hydro-solar systems (see more HERE), where the excess energy produced by the sun during the day is used to pump water to a high spot, so that it can be used to produce energy during the night or when it is cloudy. Many technologies now also allow to store the energy produced by the sun (see more HERE), so that it can be used during the night or when solar energy isn’t enough.
A second important innovation we want to talk about, are solar fabrics. One application of solar fabrics can be found in clothing, so that people can stay warmer and charge devices while on the go. More important applications, however, include solar building facades or other uses that can provide shade from the sun while also creating energy, like curtains, tents, etc.
Aesthetics have always been a reason for nay-sayer to overrule the importance of solar power, by believing that because solar panels are not “pretty” they should not be installed. Solar skins have the power to transform the look of solar panels with little investment required and can even make them look nearly “invisible”, by applying a layer that makes them look like the rest of the roof. You can learn more about solar skins in our previous blog HERE. This is even more true for building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) in which solar panels can “blend into building architecture in the form of roofs, canopies, curtain walls, facades, and skylight systems […]. BIPV solar panel systems also enable homeowners to save on building materials and electric power costs. By substituting BIPV for standard building materials, you can cut down on the additional cost of solar panel mounting systems” (Source: Solar Review).
Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology News
Photovoltaic noise barriers (PVNBs) can also revolutionise the solar industry application to transport and road systems. In many cities around the US, noise barriers to reduce the high traffic noise pollution have been combined to photovoltaic solar panels to produce a double benefit, lower noise and more green energy.
Alternative investments methods into the solar industry are also important new players in the solar industry. Many people around the world would like to own solar panels and take advantage of their beneficial investment opportunities, but for several reasons they cannot (e.g., they do not own a building where they can install them, they cannot face the high upfront costs of buying a whole solar system, or they live in areas where the sun isn’t strong enough to make this investment profitable). Different companies now allow people to invest any amount they want into solar systems, with the advantage that these are installed in locations of high energy production. This allows investors to generate positive returns and gives them the opportunity to invest in something truly green and good for the environment. One company that allows to make this type of investment happen, is GreenView Energy.
The last innovation we want to talk about is the actual solar panel. Although it was the first and original player to start the production of solar energy, this doesn’t mean it can’t still be innovated. For instance, scientists at Oxford University have managed to develop a new type of photovoltaic, called perovskite, which reaches an efficiency of around 28%, that is “between 40-56% better than the solar industry’s standard efficiency of 18-20%” (Source: Theecoexperts). Other innovations include flexible and thin solar panels that can be applied nearly anywhere, transparent solar panels that can take the place of windows (find out more HERE), and terrace or balcony solar panels, that are solar panels that can easily be installed on the side of a terrace and just needs to be plugged into any home outlet to produce energy.
One thing is certain. There is little doubt that for now solar technologies will continue to guide the transition to clean energy. So, empower the future with GreenView Energy.
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