New Solar Modules
New Solar Power - Where are We Going?
Many people instantly think of old solar panels sitting on the roofs or in the desert solar farm. This is an apt justification, considering that rooftop solar panels and traditional grid-connected solar systems been the dominant the solar market up to now.
However, there are several innovative and exciting solar power technologies that are in development or on the market. These exciting new technologies are set to change the way we think about solar energy generally. Solar doesn’t require a large property or roof space, and neither does this have to be unsightly. Read on to find out more.
Floating solar farms (also known as floatovoltaics)
Each day silicon panels become cheaper and more efficient. Experts say that photovoltaic panels positioned on water reservoirs or other bodies will offer greater efficiency and many other advantages.
Floatovoltaics,” also known as photovoltaic are solar power systems that can be used to build floating structures within dams or reservoirs.
Floating farms can produce huge amounts of generating electricity, without the need to use precious land or real estate. The installation cost of floating solar panels can be much lower than those on land. Studies have also shown that solar panel floating are able to generate up to 10 percent more power thanks to the cooling effects of water.
The floating solar farm could produce clean solar energy as well as aid in managing water. Since they hinder air circulation and block sunlight from reaching the surface of the water, floating solar farms reduce the loss of power and water through evaporation. Floating solar farms also stop the growth of harmful algae which decreases the costs of water treatment. Additionally, the water beneath the solar panel can help keep them clean and reduces waste.
The the Napa Valley’s Far Niente winery, California was the first to put in a 175 kWh floating-panel system.
Cost of deployment
In 2014, the median national cost of solar installation was \$2.8 per Watt (\$/w). The effectiveness that solar panels have is believed to be 20percent for 25 years. Floatovoltaics have a higher price than many other renewable energy technologies , such as hydropower and wind that have higher costs for land and could have environmental impacts. The global floating panels market was worth \$3.89m in 2014 and is predicted to expand. Furthermore floating solar panels are eligible to receive any grants or incentives from local or federal grant programs.
BIPV Solar Technology
Building-integrated photovoltaics as their name implies are seamlessly integrated into building architecture. They are a great option for roofing and canopy systems and curtain walls, facades skylight systems, as well as other types of roofing. BIPV, unlike traditional solar PV panels can be stylish and are is not an obstacle to the design of the building.
For those who are interested in purchasing solar panels, it is not enough just to be appealing. They must also consider the cost of purchasing solar panels on the market. The BIPV solar panels are a fantastic alternative for homeowners who wish to cut down on energy usage and construction materials costs. You can save money on the cost of solar power mounting through the use of BIPV instead of standard construction materials.
BIPV technology is employed to enhance the facade of the building as well as the atrium, terrace floors and canopy.
- Energy efficiency improved
- High-quality sound and thermal insulation
- The sun produces clean and free solar energy.
- Lower O&M costs
- Zero carbon footprint
The photovoltaic elements from solar PV glass can be used to build materials and provide natural light into homes and offices. They also function as devices that generate energy.
Types and kinds of BIPV
Technically, BIPV is any structural building material capable of producing solar power. Here are some examples of BIPV tech:
Solar Panels Roofing
Solar roofing is most likely the most well-known form of BIPV. This kind of BIPV technology is also known by the names solar tiles and solar shingles. It is possible to replace your roof using tiles or shingles by using a dual-purpose solar roofing material that produces electricity and serves as providing shelter.
While solar roofs have many advantages but it’s still not as well-established as traditional solar panels. The reason for this is that solar roofs don’t have the same efficiency as traditional polycrystalline and monocrystalline solar panels. Additionally, solar roofs may be more expensive than roof solar panel installations.
Solar Cells Transparent glaze
Because the sun is more visible from buildings than roofs, what’s the reason to not take advantage of this space? Although the location of solar radiation will affect how much sunlight a structure receives but there are generally excellent exposures along one or more sides. Solar windows (or also called solar glass) are a class of BIPV products popularly known in the solar market. They utilize extremely thin solar panels that can capture sunlight but retain their the same transparency as a regular window.
General building components
We don’t know of any other ways to incorporate solar into structures so we’ll just stick to “general elements” at the moment. This could include solar awnings, building facades as well as all other elements of structural design on the exterior of the building that can be converted to solar-friendly. The solar-integrated elements of a building make use of organic solar cells and thinner-film solar panels much more frequently than rooftop solar.
There are pros and cons to using Building-integrated photovoltaics
Benefits of BIPV
BIPV has the obvious benefit of free solar energy generation. Solar energy is continuously hitting Earth enough to power our entire planet 10,000x. Therefore, every square inch we can utilize for power generation is a plus.
BIPV is attractive due to its style and aesthetics. BIPV lets you get solar power in a less invasive and more elegant way as opposed to solar panel. BIPV is an alternative for industrial and commercial structures. It lets you showcase your business’s creativity and environmental sensitivity.
BIPV's drawbacks
BIPV is a component of the building. It is crucial to plan ahead to ensure that you can construct your structure using BIPV solutions. To integrate solar-powered products, it is crucial to determine where sunlight will be needed prior to creating any structure. Knowing upfront that you are looking to incorporate solar power to your building will help to reduce the costs for builders.
Solar skins
Solar skins permit you to integrate custom designs into the solar panels. Like bus windows that advertise solar skin technology is the same.
LA Solar Group is the manufacturer of solar-skin products and is currently testing it’s technology with the United States National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Because of the advances in selective light filtration, solar sunscreens made of thin film have a their high efficiency. The sun’s light is filtered to penetrate the cells under solar skins. This allows it to display the customized image and provide the solar energy.
These custom-designed images embedded in solar panels will match the grassy lawns or rooftops of your home.
Solar skin panels are ideal for government offices and businesses. They can be customized to display company logos, advertising, flags of countries and so on.
Solar skins are also designed to be lower than traditional racking systems and conceal metal components. They are also designed to conceal metal components. Solar Group’s Solar skins may be the answer to your panel’s problems in appearance.
LA Solar Group also allows you to monitor your system’s performance 24/7 via your smartphone. You will be informed if your system is experiencing issues, or in the event of an interruption. The app will also provide most appropriate solutions.
The downside to solar-skin panels lies in the solar installation costs. They are about 10% more expensive than traditional panels.
Solar Skins Pros & Cons
There are some disadvantages to this product that you must consider. This technology, while it is appealing for concealing solar arrays, is still in its infancy to the world market. There are also some negatives. Before we get into the pros and cons of this product, however we’ll examine the pros.
Solar Skin Pros
Solar skin is an excellent alternative to your solar array because it is a perfect match with your roofline. Solar skin can be used to turn your house into a piece of art, or turn your company’s roof into an advertisement space.
The advantages include the long-lasting promise that has led to the Fraunhofer, and Atlas testing. The product is a long-lasting film that can last for 30+ years. It also offers solar panel reduction in glare.
The product’s testing included cracking, dirt retention as along with blistering, browning and yellowing. Also, it has been tested for flash to ensure that the light is transmitted properly.
Solar Skin’s Cons
The solar panel’s efficiency is the primary drawback of solar skin. While this technology allows sunlight through, some aspects of UV radiation is blocked.
Think about the costs of adding solar-powered skins for your array. Already homeowners have invested thousands of dollars in solar. This technology will increase that cost.
Finally, the applique is only covered for ten year, despite having a 30-year warranty. The standard solar panel has the warranty of 25 years. But the solar skin can be beginning to fade, and could lower the efficiency of the panel even further before they reach the expected expiration date.
Solar fabric
The sun’s radiation is all around the planet. Why not generate the energy you need? Imagine the possibility of producing solar energy from any place on the globe, and also while you are moving through your clothes.
Research has tried to combine solar fabric and solar panels, and solar cells in a range of different areas.
- Building facades that provide shading and energy
- Illuminating the streetlights by Awnings
- Curtains that cut off the power supply to the grid
Solar-fabricated clothing for your home can be a great way to save on the cost of mounting and installation.
In addition, LA Solar Group is working on the US Army project to develop solar-powered camping tents powered by solar energy. As solar prices continue to fall and fall, it’s not difficult to envision a future where the power source is the sun’s energy.
Solar Cell Fabric has Many Benefits
There are many additional positive benefits that solar cell fabric could bring to your life. These were listed to meet the present needs of the people.
1. The ability for charging electronic devices
Imagine you are out and about all day, taking pictures with your smartphone and making a few phone calls. You are also able to write messages, browse through your social media feed and not worry about whether your battery is low or where you can recharge your smartphone.
You always have the option of using a battery, however it’s possible that you don’t carry them around with you or charge them. When you have clothes that incorporate solar cells, you’ll feel at peace and relaxed all throughout the day. To allow these cells to operate and produce electricity, you just need to have a bit of sunshine. Then, you’ll be able to connect your mobile to your USB ports on your clothing.
2. Reduced electricity consumption
This is the reason we’ll use less electricity if our phones don’t get charged at home, or in other places than with the solar panel fabrics. This patent could lead to a significant reduction in electricity use when it is utilized to its full potential.
While it might seem that charging these small devices isn’t a big deal in an overall electricity consumption perspective but it’s actually the opposite. It’s an equation that is dependent on the amount.
While it is not something you should worry about, as a person however, you should know that charging your mobile for a whole year will be less than one dollar as you’ll only use 2kWh to do so. What is the number of phones you using in your home? Where are those tiny devices? Multiply this with the population of the world.
3. Micro Size Solar Cells
This patent was required due to the fact that the cells have to be tiny enough you don’t feel their presence and their weight. This was one of the biggest challenges in the development of this technique: making the cells small enough to fit into our clothing.
The cells are designed to be worn in contemporary, breathable clothes. The designers thought of this when designing the clothing. They modified and designed the entire collection to meet this standard. One university research team wanted details on how long-lasting this idea could be. It was also crucial to find out if these solar cells can be integrated into normal fabric.
The cells they used were only 3mm x 1.5mm in size. But, they could confirm that the technology within these cells is a true powerhouse despite the small size. They proved that these tiny solar bugs work just exactly as they ought to when examined. These solar bugs won’t cause any discomfort and still be able charge your smartphone and Fitbit devices. This is the result of testing 200 solar cells that produce 2.5 to 10 volts of power, up to 80 milliwatts.
4. Fabrics that are water-proof and machine washable
Another idea is to create the fabrics using solar cells. They are reliable and reliable, as well as making power by absorbing sunlight. We do not want to put on the jacket or other clothes that need to be treated differently. People are extremely impatient. They don’t want the time to consider these issues.
The University of Tokyo and Riken research institute presented a model of this waterproof, machine-washable solar fabric in the year 2003. This was the beginning of the whole circle. We now have solar-powered clothing with micro solar cells to power the devices you use. This is all wrapped up in stylish pieces that you can wear everyday.
Patented solar cells have been laminated using an impervious resin that makes this system waterproof. You can wear your solar cells fabric in any weather condition, even if it’s raining.
Photovoltaic Solar Noise Barriers (PVNB)
Everyone has complained about road traffic noise in the US. The 48 states have built more than 3000 miles of noise barriers to address this issue. Noise barriers were developed with a single goal in mind: to make noise barriers that are cost-effective and efficient. They are also cost-effective and efficient. US Department of Energy is currently working to integrate noise abatement with power generation.
The possibility of generating solar energy using walls of noise in the US is about 400 gigawatt hours (GWh) per year, based on the wide usage of these. It’s about equivalent to the amount of electricity that is used by 37,000 homes annually.
Function and design
The photovoltaic modules can be integrated into the barriers as support elements inside the soundproofing/sound-absorbing panels. To ensure the best performance the design of Photovoltaic Noise Barriers (PVNBs), should take into account various elements like materials, location of barriers, the dimensions local climate, the amount of solar radiation, and azimuth. Two different purposes are served with photovoltaic noise walls.
They first reduce the amount of acoustical energy that is scattered or diffused back to the source. The solar cells of PV modules convert sunlight to electricity. This lowers CO2 emissions and also decreases noise. The first research paper on PVNBs also explored the possibility of mitigating noise pollution.
A majority of environmental noise barriers experts are aware that cars could cause visual damage to the area and impact views. A number of cases have proven that environmental noise barriers can solve both of these problems. There is a growing concern over the effects of air pollution on the environment. Environmental noise barriers could have the ability to reduce air pollution caused by roads. In the coming years technological advancements will increase the likelihood that barriers with the capability to cut down on air pollution will be more effective. Three major drivers will drive barriers’ design that include sound reduction, the visual screen traffic and reduction of air pollution
LA Solar Group can help you find the right solar solution for you today
Join the LA Solar Group and get free estimates for a solar shingle roof and regular solar panels. All it takes is an email address and we’ll help one of our Professional Solar installers connect with you.