Fireplace Screens Blog

One of the problems with photovoltaic (pv) solar panels is their inefficiency relative to other forms of renewable energy. In a way this is not important because solar energy is free. Looked at another way, however, solar home energy installations tend to eat up large areas of roof space to produce a satisfactory amount of electricity.  Do it yourself solar power systems are easy to make and install, and the materials are quite cheap. But it would obviously be a good thing if the system could be made smaller, and many large energy companies – Mitsubishi, for example – are making big strides in developing both commercial and residential solar energy systems that will deliver pv solar panels with both greater efficiency and lower costs.

It is expected that costs will be halved every eight years, at the same time achieving efficiency improvements of 25% to 30%.

One way to do this is to use a version of the magnifying glass to concentrate a greater density of solar power on the pv cells.  Known as the fresnel effect, it utilizes rows of optical lenses to concentrate light on to much smaller areas of pv material.  It has already been possible to achieve the same amount of electricity with one fortieth the size of pv cell, and this will improve further.

By using new forms of polycrystalline cells it is now possible for pv solar panels to produce nearly 25% more electricity.  Solar power for homes will work better and cost less, and it is not confined to sunny areas either. The fact is that pv solar panels depend on available light conditions rather than direct sun.  They do work best in hot countries, where daylight levels are good, but they do also work very well in colder climates, for example Canada and the UK.

Expect developments like these shortly in a solar home near you.

Financial assistance or investment has not always been a strong point for many state and local authorities, but there is now a noticeable determination to be seen in many governments to put the funding of diy home energy systems on a sound footing. The European Union has various directives in force that mandate very significant improvements in renewable energy systems by 2020, and many member states are finally co-operating to achieve these targets. As a consequence, energy produced from photovoltaic sources will rise from its current average of about 1% to perhaps as much as 12% and, to enable this to happen, so-called feed-in tariffs have been introduced by many countries to encourage investment in commercial and residential alternative energy systems. Versions of this exist already in many US states.

The feed-in tariff replaces the old idea of partial grants or loans with a mandated price for energy units fed in to the national grid system. This is much more attractive for investors, and will stimulate further improvements in achieving an efficient home solar power system.

Solar home energy has always been a favorite project for us, and we know that diy solar power is already a viable and simple option to the coming energy crisis.  Yes, developments in the pipeline mean that more efficient pv cells will become available for diy solar panels in due course, but you will be wasting more and more cash on those utility bills for every minute you delay making your own solar energy system.  

Building a solar panel will make a big difference. If you could use some expert guidance and good quality blueprints, we have a kit that we strongly recommend. It does what it says on the box, gives you great value for money, and also gives you peace of mind that you will be making the system properly. Take our advice, and you will have no regrets.

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