By: Lisa Schlais & Heidi Fischer. 6 th Century A.D. : Sunrooms on houses and public buildings were so common that the Justinian Code initiated “sun.

Solar Energy

By: Lisa Schlais & Heidi Fischer

History

6th Century A.D. : Sunrooms on houses and public buildings were so common that the Justinian Code initiated “sun rights” to ensure individual access to the sun.

1839: French scientist Edmond Becquerel discovers the photovoltaic effect while experimenting with an electrolytic cell made up of two metal electrodes placed in an electricity-conducting solution—electricity-generation increased when exposed to light.

1954: Photovoltaic technology is born in the United States when Daryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller, and Gerald Pearson develop the silicon photovoltaic (PV) cell at Bell Labs—the first solar cell capable of converting enough of the sun’s energy into power to run everyday electrical equipment.

1998: Subhendu Guha, a noted scientist for his pioneering work in amorphous silicon, led the invention of flexible solar shingles, a roofing material and state-of-the-art technology for converting sunlight to electricity. The PV shingles mount directly on to the roof and take the place

of asphalt shingles. The system is connected to the utility grid through an inverter and produces electricity on customer’s side of the meter. United Solar Systems Corporation / PIX03636)

Types of Solar Panels

Monocrystalline silicon

Polycrystalline silicon

Building integrated photovoltaics

Thin film

Solar hot water

Pros

Solar energy pays for itself

Saves you money

Rebates pay for half

Reduces dirty fuel consumption

In some countries, solar energy is the best investment

Cons

Solar energy is expensive

Complicated

A lot of misinformation about solar energy

Takes time and effort to learn everything

No transparent pricing; hard to know who to trust

Comparison

Economic Implications – Nevada Case Study

Scenario A: One 100 megawatt trough facility

Direct job growth 817, indirect and induced job growth 1,570

Total personal income attributed to construction and operations & management (O&M) phase estimated at $1.15 billion.

Gross State Product (GSP) will increase by $1.14 billion.

Economic Implications – Nevada Case Study

Scenario B:10 plants constructed over 11-year construction

cycle

Initial employment impact 3,830 jobs in the first year of construction peaking at 6,940 jobs.

First post-construction year has 1,090 employment impact

During O&M phase average of 1,800 jobs

Personal income between 2004-2035 estimated $9.37 billion

GSP between 2004-2035 estimated $9.85 billion

Economic Implications – Nevada Case Study

Scenario C:Three plants constructed over two-year build cycle

Construction begins 2004, 2005, and 2006 and all completed by 2008.

2005 had 7,000 jobs attributed to construction of facilities

Average annual employment over construction phase is 4,900 jobs.

Average employment over O&M phase is 475 jobs

2004-2035 personal income growth estimated at $3.4 billion

GSP, for the same period, increased by $3.5 billion

https://www.nvenergy.com/renewablesenvironment/renewables/solar.cfm

Global Community

Dilemma for international energy efficiency initiatives:

Trade-off between smallest common denominator acceptable for participating countries and specificity of goals and targets to be effective.

Differences in national government practice, legislation and regulations, and lack of cooperation.

What works well in one country does not work well for another

Global CommunitySuccessful Initiative:

Local support and “buy-in”

Access to financing

Effective coordination of ALL parties involved.

Willingness to make policy changes and adopt regulations locally

Activities focus efficiency in:

Buildings

Appliances

Electrical equipment (motors/HVAC etc.)

Utilities/grids

Some transportation

Global Community

Industrial sector lacks cooperation due to competition

Focus:

Smaller businesses and commercial areas

Transportation (non-fossil based)

Specific industry sectors

Examples: Textiles and IT

Future

All buildings will be built to combine energy-efficient design and construction practices and renewable energy technologies for a net-zero energy building. In effect, the building will conserve enough and produce its own energy supply to create a new generation of cost-effective buildings that have zero net annual need for non-renewable energy.

Photovoltaic research and development will continue intense interest in new materials, cell designs, and novel approaches to solar material and product development. It is a future where the clothes you wear and your mode of transportation can produce power that is clean and safe.

The price of photovoltaic power will be competitive with traditional sources of electricity within 10 years.

Solar electricity will be used to electrolyze water, producing hydrogen for fuel cells for transportation and buildings.

Looking Ahead

New Technology Solar Settlements Building your own solar panels

New Technology

Solar Window Creates Electricity on See – Through Glass

Solar Settlement

Building Your Own

Do-It-Yourself Solar Kits

Building Solar Panels from Scratch

Sources

Department of Energy. (n.d.). The history of Solar Energy, Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Retrieved May 20, 2012 from http://www1.eere.energy.gov/ solar/pdfs/solar_timeline.pdf

International program efforts related to energy efficiency. (2012). Leonardo Energy. Retrieved May 24, 2012 from http://www.leonardo-energy.org/international-program-efforts-related-energy-efficiency

Schwer, R.K. , and Riddel, M. (2004). The potential economic impact of constructing and operating solar power generation facilities in Nevada. Center for Business and Economic Research. University of Nevada, Nevada

Solarenergyfactsblog.com. (n.d.) Retrieved May 15, 2012.

Questions