How does a solar panel work?
Photovoltaics, used for solar energy production, were first discovered in the mid 19th century, but they did not come to use until about a century later when they were used for powering spacecraft during the Space Race. This was the only known use for about a decade, until the prices on them began to decrease and people found other uses for them (Knier, 2012). Solar panels are typically made with silicon, phosphorus, boron, and glass. Two layers of Silicon are placed together, with one layer negatively doped with Phosphorus atoms (with 5 outer electrons), leaving one extra space in the bond with Silicon. This creates a charge of -1. The other layer of Silicon layer is positively doped with Boron, which has a charge of +3, leaving 2 empty holes within the atoms. Layers of glass are placed surrounding these layers to protect against damage. When the sun’s light hits these photovoltaic cells, the photons excite the electrons, making them jump up to fill in the holes in the layer. More electrons then move to fill these ever-changing holes, and an electric current is then created by this movement. This DC current flows to an inverter, which changes the current from DC to AC, so that we can use it in our buildings. This electricity flows through a battery that measures the amount of electricity being produced by the solar source (Locke, 2008). Because the amount of energy that the sun gives off every day is so much more than we could ever use, the extra energy needs to be stored or used elsewhere. All of this leftover energy that our homes/schools produce goes back to our local energy power source, and in turn you can get paid for that energy! If our school were to put solar panels in place on the roof, so much energy would be created, that we would get paid for the extra energy. On top of this, our school could save over a quarter of a million dollars over the course of the panel’s 25 year life cycle.
Why the roof?
You might be wondering, why the roof? Why not the ground? Placing solar panels in fields around a building is not environmentally friendly (Brady, 2014). It takes up useful land space when there is a huge edifice right here with thousands of square feet of surface area that is not being used. When the solar panels are installed on the ground, the nature beneath it is negatively affected. The grass has to work harder for its light source, and becomes hungry for more CO2. This affects us in the long run because we survive off of the CO2-O2 transfer with nature. With less CO2 available for the plants, the less oxygen will be available for us to use. Also, these solar fields are usually fenced in, making it hard or even impossible for some animals to get to their homes, in turn affecting the entire habitat. A current solar array project in California has already endangered the native desert tortoise of that area. It would be so much more beneficial to use the space that we already have instead of taking up more land space. Also, in regards to our school, we do not exactly have much room on our campus for a solar array anywhere but on the roof. On top of that, if you are putting the panels on the roof of a pre-built building, Act 250 doesn’t come into play. This gets rid of a huge obstacle we would have otherwise had to climb.
Through my research I have learned that if every school across the nation installed solar panels on their rooftops, it would generate enough energy to power one million homes (Spross, 2014)! That’s about 5.4 GW (SEIA, 2014)! That, combined with the current solar energy production by private homes and businesses will create a positive effect on the environment and amount to a lot of savings! Taxes would also expectedly go down in certain districts because not as much money is needed for the schools. With the public in mind, it is important to take their opinions into account. Although most people around here do not mind the look of solar panels, there are some who cannot stand the fact that they ruin the view (Anderson, 2014). Photovoltaics also have other negative effects, like the hazardous materials that they contain, making them very hard to dispose of once they can no longer be used (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2014). However, I believe that in 25 years when all of these panels are trying to be disposed of, someone will have found a way to properly recycle them.
The future!
One source even stated that in just 40 years, solar will most likely be the leading energy producer across the globe (MacFarlane, 2014). This is a big deal, because although it seems far away now, 40 years is actually a very short amount of time. This will happen fast, as the prices on photovoltaics are already on the decline. There is even evidence that from 2010 to 2013 prices of solar panels decreased by 39% (SEIA, 2014). We have already seen an increase in the market since the panels are becoming cheaper to install, and they will only become more and more prevalent. In 2013 Vermont was 24th in the nation for solar energy production, with 39MW (SEIA, 2014). Solar is expected to power 25% of the world population by 2050 (MacFarlane, 2014)!
What option should I go with?
There are so many options for solar that it is important to know which one is the most beneficial for your given situation. For example, if you do not have a large space for panels, go with the more expensive, more efficient panels, as they will produce more energy for you than the cheaper brands will (Shahan, 2014). If you have a huge space for solar, it might be smart to go with the cheaper brand, as they will pay themselves back faster and you will still be creating a large amount of energy in your space. If you are someone who does not like how solar panels will make your house look, you may start to think about a new option that has started up; solar shingles (Wang, 2012). This is good way to save energy and get a bang for your buck. Of course, you may not think about doing this unless you also need your roof redone, but it is something new available that comes with the same benefits as solar panels. However, solar shingles are not as efficient as solar panels, so more space is required in order to lower your electric bill. Also, unlike solar panels that can be adjusted, solar shingles are only for houses already facing the correct way with the correct angle to get the most sunlight. So, I expect that this model will get more efficient as time goes on, but right now the best option is still the regular rooftop solar panel.
The Solar Capital
Rutland, Vermont is trying to become the solar capital of Vermont and even New England. To do this, Green Mountain Power has stepped up and taken charge. Their five year plans include installing solar panels on brown fields that are not useful for anything else, and also installing more energy efficient street lighting around town. This plan is expected to be complete by 2017, with a goal that about 10,000 kW of renewable energy will be put in place in the area (GMP, 2012). As part of Rutland County, Rutland Town has also taken a liking to solar energy and have even been some of the first to install rules and regulations about where people can install solar panels in order to protect both the environment and people’s opinions about where solar panels can be located (Curtis, 2014). Some guidelines include points that solar panels cannot be located on or too close to a historical site or wildlife habitat, they cannot have too large of signage, and they cannot be located in designated hazard areas. Some towns hopping on the solar energy bandwagon like Shelburne are looking to Rutland Town’s guidelines for help, as they have already started to see some controversy. Many people seem to think that this is a waste of time, that Vermont is a terrible place to try to produce solar power due to the cold temperatures. However, these people are wrong. Heat is actually the enemy of solar panels. Many sources have stated that every degree that the temperature raises above 25ºC, a solar panel’s energy output is reduced by -0.46% (LaMonica, 2011). That means that places like Florida, New Mexico and Texas are not very efficient places to have solar panels since their temperatures are frequently above 25ºC (Energy Matters, 2012). So, the colder temperatures that we have here in Vermont actually are beneficial to solar panels, since their voltage increases as the temperature decreases. This supports my statement that solar panels would be beneficial to our school because although in the winter we do not get as much sunlight, during the time that there is sunlight the solar panels would be at their maximum production.
Photovoltaics, used for solar energy production, were first discovered in the mid 19th century, but they did not come to use until about a century later when they were used for powering spacecraft during the Space Race. This was the only known use for about a decade, until the prices on them began to decrease and people found other uses for them (Knier, 2012). Solar panels are typically made with silicon, phosphorus, boron, and glass. Two layers of Silicon are placed together, with one layer negatively doped with Phosphorus atoms (with 5 outer electrons), leaving one extra space in the bond with Silicon. This creates a charge of -1. The other layer of Silicon layer is positively doped with Boron, which has a charge of +3, leaving 2 empty holes within the atoms. Layers of glass are placed surrounding these layers to protect against damage. When the sun’s light hits these photovoltaic cells, the photons excite the electrons, making them jump up to fill in the holes in the layer. More electrons then move to fill these ever-changing holes, and an electric current is then created by this movement. This DC current flows to an inverter, which changes the current from DC to AC, so that we can use it in our buildings. This electricity flows through a battery that measures the amount of electricity being produced by the solar source (Locke, 2008). Because the amount of energy that the sun gives off every day is so much more than we could ever use, the extra energy needs to be stored or used elsewhere. All of this leftover energy that our homes/schools produce goes back to our local energy power source, and in turn you can get paid for that energy! If our school were to put solar panels in place on the roof, so much energy would be created, that we would get paid for the extra energy. On top of this, our school could save over a quarter of a million dollars over the course of the panel’s 25 year life cycle.
Why the roof?
You might be wondering, why the roof? Why not the ground? Placing solar panels in fields around a building is not environmentally friendly (Brady, 2014). It takes up useful land space when there is a huge edifice right here with thousands of square feet of surface area that is not being used. When the solar panels are installed on the ground, the nature beneath it is negatively affected. The grass has to work harder for its light source, and becomes hungry for more CO2. This affects us in the long run because we survive off of the CO2-O2 transfer with nature. With less CO2 available for the plants, the less oxygen will be available for us to use. Also, these solar fields are usually fenced in, making it hard or even impossible for some animals to get to their homes, in turn affecting the entire habitat. A current solar array project in California has already endangered the native desert tortoise of that area. It would be so much more beneficial to use the space that we already have instead of taking up more land space. Also, in regards to our school, we do not exactly have much room on our campus for a solar array anywhere but on the roof. On top of that, if you are putting the panels on the roof of a pre-built building, Act 250 doesn’t come into play. This gets rid of a huge obstacle we would have otherwise had to climb.
Through my research I have learned that if every school across the nation installed solar panels on their rooftops, it would generate enough energy to power one million homes (Spross, 2014)! That’s about 5.4 GW (SEIA, 2014)! That, combined with the current solar energy production by private homes and businesses will create a positive effect on the environment and amount to a lot of savings! Taxes would also expectedly go down in certain districts because not as much money is needed for the schools. With the public in mind, it is important to take their opinions into account. Although most people around here do not mind the look of solar panels, there are some who cannot stand the fact that they ruin the view (Anderson, 2014). Photovoltaics also have other negative effects, like the hazardous materials that they contain, making them very hard to dispose of once they can no longer be used (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2014). However, I believe that in 25 years when all of these panels are trying to be disposed of, someone will have found a way to properly recycle them.
The future!
One source even stated that in just 40 years, solar will most likely be the leading energy producer across the globe (MacFarlane, 2014). This is a big deal, because although it seems far away now, 40 years is actually a very short amount of time. This will happen fast, as the prices on photovoltaics are already on the decline. There is even evidence that from 2010 to 2013 prices of solar panels decreased by 39% (SEIA, 2014). We have already seen an increase in the market since the panels are becoming cheaper to install, and they will only become more and more prevalent. In 2013 Vermont was 24th in the nation for solar energy production, with 39MW (SEIA, 2014). Solar is expected to power 25% of the world population by 2050 (MacFarlane, 2014)!
What option should I go with?
There are so many options for solar that it is important to know which one is the most beneficial for your given situation. For example, if you do not have a large space for panels, go with the more expensive, more efficient panels, as they will produce more energy for you than the cheaper brands will (Shahan, 2014). If you have a huge space for solar, it might be smart to go with the cheaper brand, as they will pay themselves back faster and you will still be creating a large amount of energy in your space. If you are someone who does not like how solar panels will make your house look, you may start to think about a new option that has started up; solar shingles (Wang, 2012). This is good way to save energy and get a bang for your buck. Of course, you may not think about doing this unless you also need your roof redone, but it is something new available that comes with the same benefits as solar panels. However, solar shingles are not as efficient as solar panels, so more space is required in order to lower your electric bill. Also, unlike solar panels that can be adjusted, solar shingles are only for houses already facing the correct way with the correct angle to get the most sunlight. So, I expect that this model will get more efficient as time goes on, but right now the best option is still the regular rooftop solar panel.
The Solar Capital
Rutland, Vermont is trying to become the solar capital of Vermont and even New England. To do this, Green Mountain Power has stepped up and taken charge. Their five year plans include installing solar panels on brown fields that are not useful for anything else, and also installing more energy efficient street lighting around town. This plan is expected to be complete by 2017, with a goal that about 10,000 kW of renewable energy will be put in place in the area (GMP, 2012). As part of Rutland County, Rutland Town has also taken a liking to solar energy and have even been some of the first to install rules and regulations about where people can install solar panels in order to protect both the environment and people’s opinions about where solar panels can be located (Curtis, 2014). Some guidelines include points that solar panels cannot be located on or too close to a historical site or wildlife habitat, they cannot have too large of signage, and they cannot be located in designated hazard areas. Some towns hopping on the solar energy bandwagon like Shelburne are looking to Rutland Town’s guidelines for help, as they have already started to see some controversy. Many people seem to think that this is a waste of time, that Vermont is a terrible place to try to produce solar power due to the cold temperatures. However, these people are wrong. Heat is actually the enemy of solar panels. Many sources have stated that every degree that the temperature raises above 25ºC, a solar panel’s energy output is reduced by -0.46% (LaMonica, 2011). That means that places like Florida, New Mexico and Texas are not very efficient places to have solar panels since their temperatures are frequently above 25ºC (Energy Matters, 2012). So, the colder temperatures that we have here in Vermont actually are beneficial to solar panels, since their voltage increases as the temperature decreases. This supports my statement that solar panels would be beneficial to our school because although in the winter we do not get as much sunlight, during the time that there is sunlight the solar panels would be at their maximum production.