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Thursday, June 18, 2009

Solar Panels Have Ultimately Attained Economic Efficiency

By Susan Smithson

As users, we seldom get all excited about an event until it starts to affect our fiscal state or how we go about our days. Relatively few citizenry cared about the cost of fuel when it was vacillating around $2.10 per gallon. When it gets up around $3.40 per gallon and costs over $125.00 to satisfy that petrol guzzling SUV however, we become a bit more aware.

The last experience of this special phenomenon was apparent was in the very early 1970's, when there was an oil embargo and hence, no gasoline. Alternate energies began to pop up here and there with many people jumping on the band wagon. But, gas soon returned in ample supply and substitute energy sources fell under the average users radar screen once again. Now, in 2008, the common consumer is seeing gas costs move higher and found a realization that global warming will be modifying finances soon. Alternate energy is back in the views of the common consumer and, perhaps, this time for good.

Where did solar go? - Solar energy for the house was a big seller during the energy crisis of the 70's. Many abodes found tri-pods of solar panels on their roofs gathering what power they could. These units were found mostly in environmentally cognizant Washington, but before long they were found across the United States. Unfortunately, the solar power cell of the 1970's just wasn't all that economical and cost quite a bit to set up and maintain. As fossil fuel returned to the marketplace there was miniscule need for solar cells in a time of blazing consumption. But the idea of solar power was a good one and many pioneers understood that it was a good idea that had yet to find its time. Solar panels never went away; they just slid back into the lab to await solar panel 2.1.

Solar is back and ready - Today's poly-crystalline pv solar panel is not your father's poly-crystalline solar module. Depending upon which type of energy you care to generate, electricity or hot water, today's poly-crystalline photovoltaic solar module has come a very long way in the form of photovoltaic's and will go further still. These cells, when combined into pv solar cell form, turn the suns rays (so-to-speak) right into power ready for use. They have also become exceedingly efficient, more environmentally sound and less expensive. Today's solar panel will sit almost anywhere and is quickly finding itself being turned into a panel the thickness of a nano particle. Solar power technology is running at extremely fast pace and driving costs down to an affordable level.

Who's using polycrystalline pv solar cells? - As mentioned, it takes a change in the purse strings to see a marked change in a consumer's behavior. With a technology and paradigm shift on the order of poly-crystalline pv solar module it requires a solid leap forward in panel efficiency, costs of panels , associated elements and an increase in existing costs of fuel. When these factors reach critical mass solar panels start to show up, not at the consumer level, but at the corporate and industrial level. This is simply because business moves its money where the costs-over time-are less. This is just good business. Polycrystalline PV solar panels are now, as in this past two years, become more cost effective for industry to use then to not use them over time.

Why polycrystalline photovoltaic solar modules now? Poly-crystalline PV solar cells are now being used primarily because fuel costs are just too high to ignore in favor of a new technology that is worth checking out. Companies have available empty roof space and the choice of trying something on a larger scale to see if it works versus continuing to pay higher fuel bills and environmental costs. The whole concept is extremely self serving. There is no environmental consideration involved. If the company doesn't use solar panels they have to pay fuel costs and air clean-up expenses along with variable fuel charges. They try out the PV solar panels and see if they work now. If they do, the company can; commit to a full solar panel program with even more efficient solar panels, significantly reduce fuel costs and almost eliminate air cleaning needs along the way. There is little environmental about it. It's just good business. After industry gets rolling, solar panel costs will drop like a stone and the consumer will jump on board because it's just good business.

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