Top 5 reasons how solar power can save the world

1. The research and development monies now going into solar energy are great enough to fuel innovation and bring down prices rapidly. First Solar expects solar generation manufacturing costs to fall from 63 cents a watt to 35 cents a watt from now through 2017!

2. Honda is experimenting with a zero-carbon home. It includes a direct DC recharger for an electric car so as to cut down on energy lost to heat during the DC to AC conversion. Charging would take only 2 hours, direct from sunlight.

The opening of Honda Smart Home US, showcasing technologies that enable zero net energy living and transportation

3. Thin-skin solar panels will be installed directly on the cars, and a canopy recharger will fill them back up, economical cars are the future (not the Prius)

4. Even poor countries of the global South like Pakistan are finding it affordable now to create enormous solar parks. Bahawalpur faces blackouts and a deficit of 4 gigawatts of electricity. It will soon get 1 gigawatt of electricity from solar and other renewables.

5. There are new technological advancements in Solar Power almost everyday and and a giant flow of ideas of how Solar can save the world which come as abundantly as the actual resource! Japan want to put a solar panel ring around the moon which can have the potential to power a 1/3, THIRD of the world's energy demands. MIT are researching  solar panels that can grow from bacteria making them more affordable. A group of scientists also want to build solar plants in our oceans as the solar energy is greater there. The amount of solar energy that hits our Earth in an hour is enough to power the world for a year. Surely we have to harness this great natural, renewable resource?!

6. Okay okay, I know I said 5 but TOP 6 doesn't have the same ring to it, sorry for lying my dear Sirs and Madams but this one is important! After seeing the way Russia is bullying Western Europe over opposition in Brussels to Russia grabbing Ukrainian territory, with Russia threatening to cut off natural gas, many countries will be encouraged to invest in renewable energy sources that cannot be cut off. Thailand is investing in 3 gigawatts of solar energy, not only because its government wants more electricity but because it wants more energy independence! The falling price of solar panels will give a further economic motive for going green, but tensions in the ASEAN countries over the possibility of gradually being reduced to Chinese puppets are real– something Obama is trying to address on his current trip to Japan and other countries of the far east. The alternative to solar, hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to produce natural gas, is not affordable in many countries; it uses enormous amounts of precious water, damages the environment, and produces huge methane emissions that threaten deadly climate disruption. Solar gives both cost savings and security, as well as a brighter climate future.

I bid you adieu my dear Sirs and Madams!

Solar roof tiles (shingles)

To the majority the main reason why they won't install solar panels is that some can look well... ugly. Nobody wants to lose their curb appeal understandably BUT, you don't have to get panels. You can get solar roof tiles and they look just dandy!

What are they and how do they work? 

Solar shingles, also called photovoltaic shingles, are solar cells designed to look like conventional asphalt shingles. There are several varieties of solar shingles, including shingle-sized solid panels that take the place of a number of conventional shingles in a strip, semi-rigid designs containing several silicon solar cells that are sized more like conventional shingles, and newer systems using various thin film solar cell technologies that match conventional shingles both in size and flexibility. Solar shingles are manufactured by several companies by now.

Solar shingles are photovoltaic cells, capturing sunlight and transforming it into electricity. Most solar shingles are 12 by 86 inches (300 by 2,180 mm) and can be stapled directly to the roofing cloth. When applied they have a 5 by 86 inches (130 by 2,180 mm) strip of exposed surface. Different models of shingles have different mounting requirements. Some can be applied directly onto roofing felt intermixed with regular asphalt shingles while others may need special installation.

Aren't they just dandy?!  There are all sorts of shapes and sizes that admittedly do aesthetically dance on the eyes more so than the panels!

Downside?

So it is a no-brainer then; fit solar tiles instead of panels unless you want to make a statement to your neighbours with your solar panels. Well – as is often the case – it is not as simple as that. The main issue is cost or, more to the point, return on investment. Solar tiles are more expensive – often double the price – and less efficient – typically 10 – 20% less than than solar panels. And as solar PV systems are being presented as an excellent investment with the Feed in Tariffs this will have an impact on their popularity and applicability.

Solar tiles still may have a part to play in the sustainable design of our buildings however. For those that view the appearance of their roof as paramount or for whom cost is not a concern may still want to make the extra investment. Also with new build homes, it may be practical to install solar tiles instead of conventional roof tiles which will offset some of the cost and look great; particularly if they cover the entire roof pitch.

I bid you adieu my dear Sirs and Madams!

Average sunlight hours to triple by April

 The biggest increase in average sunlight hours comes in April, according to the Met Office's figures.
Compared to March, which averages 4 hours, April has an average of 6 sunlight hours. This is the same as August and three times as many average sunlight hours as in January.

This is one of the possible explanations for installation rates increasing in time for Spring, as home-owners anticipate seeing a bigger return on their investment straight away.

With the sun finally starting to shine in the UK, its a good reminder of how beneficial harnessing the sun's rays can be - something those with solar panels already installed will no doubt be noticing.

Harnessing the Sun

For those who have looked into having solar panels installed, or most of the public that have heard about them being such a profitable investment, you'll have heard systems described as a 3kW system' or a '4kW system', but what does this mean and how does the glorious weather we've enjoyed impact your earnings and savings?

Well a 3kW system (often you'll see it written 3kWp - peak kilowatts), rather unsurprisingly, means that the system will generate a maximum of 3 kilowatts of solar power in direct sunlight. So over a typical day in April, with an average of 6 hours of direct sunlight the system can maximally produce 18kW of power each day - or if you like, sufficient to boil the kettle for around 700 cups of tea.

That's enough tea to turn an Englishman crazy!

The term 'average hours of direct sunlight' is used because unless you live on the equator the strength of the sun will be less than 'direct'. However, with the longer hours of daylight starting in April, the average amount of direct-strength sunlight will increase greatly over the coming months.

This means that the more sun there is, the more kilowatts your panels produce, and the more you are rewarded by the feed-in-tariff for doing so (not to mention. So installing in preparation for the months of longer and stronger sunlight ensures you begin earning and saving at the peak time of year for solar installations.

If Solar Panels have caught your eye like they've caught mine you can get your FREE QUOTE on solar panel prices here.

I bid you adieu my dear Sirs and Madams!