By Tim Phelan
Is It Time For Solar Energy To Get Hot? By Tim Phelan
Solar energy has been around for quite a while and most peopledon’t think about it much except for the ones who are alreadyinto renewable sources of energy. Environmentalists have alwaysloved the idea of solar energy but what has kept it from goingmore mainstream, being more widely used and looked upon assomething someone wants to spend money to install on theirproperty? There have been improvements in the technology ofsolar energy, but has there been enough? Isn’t the war on terrorand the desire to be independent of foreign energy sourcesenough to persuade people to use solar energy? At what pointwill solar energy become the great and never ending source ofenergy many of envisioned many years ago?
Well, I, for one, think that the time has just about come forsolar energy to really take off because of one reason: it willbe economically the right and smart thing to do.
Last year I was driving to Las Vegas from San Jose and when Iwas just about three quarters of the way to my destination Ipassed a sign that said something about a “solar farm.” Iglanced over and saw row upon row of solar panels sitting in themiddle of the dessert. This is about the only farm that couldsurvive in the dessert I thought to myself. Then I thought “Wow. Why can’t I do that?” In a smaller fashion of coursebecause of my limited resources. But I thought why not rent someland and buy some of these panels and start my own little farm?It made sense and actually it still makes sense to me.
I went home later and looked into the solar energy industry. Iwanted to see if this was possible now and I thought if thesepeople put all those panels out in the dessert and sold theenergy to others why can’t a small businessman?
Well, what I found out is that it isn’t quite possible to dojust yet. Why? Because the cost of the panels, property, laboretc.. wasn’t low enough to make a profit for what you can sellthe energy for. The solar farm was more than likely subsidizedby the government. So I looked into the possibility of usingthem on homes. This thought has been around for decades and youdo see the panels on more homes than you used to so I waswondering if this was possible now. I found out that it justtakes too long for the average consumer to get their investmentback to consider putting solar panels on their homes.
The average time for a homeowner to get the money back on theirinvestment is anywhere from 12 years to 20 years. For thisindustry to take off that figure I believe will have to go downto around 5 to 7. Not that far really. It could actually gobelow that.
Three things have to happen for the solar energy promise tobecome a reality and for homeowners and entrepreneurs to decidein large numbers to use solar panels to create electricity:
1. The price of the panels will have to decrease. 2. The panelswill have to improve and produce more energy. 3. The cost ofenergy will have to increase.
Actually just one of these factors can happen to a great degreeand the other two stay constant and the point will be reachedwhere the solar energy industry will explode. But more thanlikely, all three will come closer together and at some pointpeople will decide to start buying the panels in record numbersand we will see this way of creating energy from a clean andrenewable source be common place.
Here is why I think the time is very near for this explosion tohappen.
1. There is a bill in the state legislature in California nowthat will spend on rebates for solar energy. Thegovernor wants to show that he is in the front of this movementand wants to be aggressive. Some don’t like the way the bill iswritten, but there is a good chance it will pass.
2. The panels are becoming more and more efficient at producingmore energy.
3. The price may go down dramatically if contracts with China toproduce the panels are put into place. Normally I don’t like ourjobs going oversees to people who only get fractions of what theUS worker makes but in this instance it will also create manyjobs here to install the panels, sell them, warehouse themetc... Plus this is something the country needs I feel. Clean,renewable energy that makes us less reliable on foreign oil andgases.
Also, some companies are producing these new generation flexiblesolar energy panels that come in sheets and can be rolled up andthen out onto surfaces. These may bring the cost way down andmake the instalation much more easy and cost efficiant. Here isan article about this new product:
At what point will these three variables merge?
I predict in the next two to three years this industry will takeoff like so many of us were hoping it would many years ago.
If you want to know how to install a solar electric panel systemto your house here is a inexpensive e-book that shows you how.ClickHere People can act now, and many already are by buying andinstalling these solar panels. With the war on terror lookinglike it could last decades many look upon this investment as notonly a clean green solution and a smart investment on increasingthe value of their home, but as almost a patriotic gesture in away to free us from the dependence on middle eastern oil andnatural gas. Here is a link to a terrific site where you can getthese panels at wholesale prices. This site has all sorts ofrenewable energy sources at great prices.
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