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The solar power industry is constantly changing. Every year there are more advancements made, and we’re closer than ever to becoming a greener society.
Thanks to solar power, we no longer have to worry too much about what happens when fossil fuels inevitably run out, as we can rely on the sun, and other forms of renewable energy to survive.
But what are these advancements that have been happening in recent years? And how do these advancements have an impact on us as the consumers?
Let’s have a look at the breakthroughs currently happening in the solar industry.
Solar cell efficiency
One of the most important things to consider before you are having solar panels installed is how efficient are they going to be. The higher the efficiency, the more energy will be generated, and as a result, you will have more electricity to use around your house, or commercial property.
The first solar panel was developed in 1954, and was only around 6% efficient. Fastforward to the 21st century, and we have developed solar PV panels that can reach up to 47.1% efficiency!
On average though, most domestic solar panels are about 20% efficient, but that’s still a huge jump from 6%.
Scientists are working on ways to increase solar cell efficiency all the time, so no doubt in a few years, we’ll be hearing of advancement in even more efficient solar panels.
Material breakthroughs
Currently, most solar panels are manufactured with silicon, it’s proved to be the best material to use time and time again. But back in 2016, scientists made a discovery.
Scientists made solar cells with perovskite crystals for the first time, and found that they can be up to 20% more efficient than traditional silicon-based solar cells. This is a huge advancement as these perovskite cells are far more lightweight, and are more easily fitted to different types of rooves.
However, there are a few problems that we encounter when looking at perovskite solar cells. Firstly, they haven’t lasted as long in tests, so, more research needs to be done on them in order for them to match the 25-year lifetime of their silicon counterparts.
In addition, silicon cells are still outperforming perovskite ones in terms of viability when talking about using them commercially.
Although, last summer researchers at Princeton University in the US finally had a breakthrough and created some commercially viable cells. These solar cells are far easier to manufacture than silicon-based ones as they can be done at room temperature, and don’t require nearly as much energy.
So, while there are still challenges with this type of cell, there is no doubt that perovskite cells are going to be the cells of the future. Scientists are now working towards increasing efficiency, improving lifetime, and switching out more toxic materials for cleaner ones. There is also talk of combining perovskite cells with silicon ones, to create a hybrid called a Tandem Cell, which would be even more powerful.
Roof top solar trackers
A few years ago, researchers came up with a solar tracking device, that allowed solar panels to move with position of the sun. Since then, there have been more developments, and now you can get ones to be installed on your roof, instead of having to be ground mounted.
There are 3 types of solar trackers:
- Manual solar trackers
- Passive solar trackers
- Active solar trackers
These all have different qualities, but the most convenient one is definitely the active tracker, as it’s based in hydraulic technologies. This can then be broken down further into 2 more categories
- Single axis trackers
- Double axis trackers
The single axis trackers move from east to west with the sun, and you can expect to have an increased energy production from 25%-35%.
Double axis trackers move from both east to west, and north to south. They are a great solution for properties that are smaller, as they can really maximise the amount of sun exposure your panels get.
However, these tracking systems come with a caveat – they’re incredibly expensive, and as a result, it would take you longer to make your return on investment than if you didn’t have them.
Solar shingles
Solar shingles aren’t really heard of much when we talk about solar systems, despite having been created all the way back in 2005. They have only recently become available for home installation, and they are definitely becoming a solution for solar savvy homeowners.
Many people dislike the way that solar panels look on rooves, and so would never consider getting them, solely for aesthetic reasons, but solar shingles could be the solution to that. They are basically small solar panels that are made to look like roof tiles so they can blend in easier.
There are a number of benefits that come along with solar shingles:
- They are easier and quicker to install – it only takes about 10 hours to set them up instead of a couple of days with traditional solar panels. Not only this but they snap together which adds to the speed in setting them up.
- More resistant and durable – when it comes to extreme weather conditions, we know that these can damage solar panels, but with solar shingles, they can withstand the harshest of weathers, and are as durable as your actual roof.
- Still eligible for government benefits – just like with traditional solar panels, solar shingles are also included under the ECO4 and SEG schemes, allowing you to still save and make money.
However, one major downside is that they are limited in flexibility, and have to be installed to perfectly fit your roof. This means that if a part of your roof is obstructed, then the shingles will have their output affected.
What’s the takeaway?
Here are just a few updates in the latest advancements of solar power. Solar power is more powerful than ever before, and researchers and scientists are working incredibly hard to uncover new technologies.
The industry has come on leaps and bounds in the past few years, and there’s no sign of it slowing down any time soon. Given the exciting breakthroughs, there’s no question to us that solar power is going to be the most popular it’s even been in the next few years.