The Switch is becoming more popular.
Over one million people in the US now have solar panels. That’s about half of all homeowners with roof-top space enough to install them!
And it’s an investment with serious perks — reduced energy bills, clean air, sustainable power sources…and more money in your wallet!
Not only do solar panel costs drop over time, but you can lease or buy them from places like Amazon. They also come with some pretty good deals on maintenance and installation services.
So if you’re looking to invest in green technology, here are all the ways getting a solar panel is worth it.
You’ll feel good knowing you helped keep electricity flowing and that you contributed toward reducing someone else’s carbon footprint.
But regardless of whether you can afford it out-of-pocket, there are things you can do to promote economic sustainability.
Use our list of free resources for how you can contribute to economic sustainability across your neighborhood, community, and planet.
They’re efficient and affordable.
Thin film technology, when utilized, can provide you with a quality Switch at an incredibly low cost.
Factor in not only the initial cost of installation but also the costs of replacing your old panel over time.
These lower costs make sense financially, and coming to Earth is becoming more expensive due to global warming.
As countries worldwide address climate change, they are becoming increasingly sensitive to new policies limiting carbon emissions.
Some governments impose heavy taxes on electricity sources such as coal and oil. This may seem like it would be beneficial to our environment, but the downside is that these fuels represent the original energy source for much of modern civilization.
New technologies enable us to utilize solar power without unneeded resources costing Earth. We have created ways to create sunlight-driven batteries and other devices that produce little to no waste.
And while we need sunlight and wind in the future to help keep the planet healthy, there are cases where we need to reduce their effects or suppress them altogether.
Using tools like insulation and shade structures can prevent wasted energy from being released into the atmosphere.
A solar panel is composed of many different layers
Each layer has its purpose. The most common form consists of two sheets of silicon sandwiched between two metal films.
When sunlight hits the panels, your photons are absorbed by the semiconductor material, which then creates an electric field that can be manipulated and conducted through the conductors
The semiconductors change form when energy hits, creating electrons and holes that move around until they’re either released or collected by other objects.
This process can happen numerous times before all the potential energy in the system is used up.
Although newer technologies use thinner layers and more advanced materials to enhance efficiency, the basic principle remains the same.
How those systems operate, though, will depend on several factors like the voltage, phase, frequency, input power, output load, etc.
All solar panels use the same basic structure.
Most people realize sunflowers eat water to create energy but did you know that Switch uses the same basic structural design for collecting power from the sun’s rays?
That design was developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and several companies filed multiple patents. The only difference is the material used to make the panel.
Each type of solar panel uses silicon, copper, glass, aluminum, or plastic to capture the light intensity and convert it into electric current.
Solar panels work better when they are smooth and flat, so this technology has been around for decades.
Commercial sails, which hold up underwater vehicles, track them, and take advantage of small waves, have similar properties.
It is made from silicon.
Most of the Earth is made up of something called dirt, which is mostly sand. Silicon is a very common element in the sand on Earth’s surface.
Solar cells (the individual pieces of hardware that make up solar panels) come in two types: mono-crystalline and poly-crystalline. Both use silicon, but they differ greatly in how they are processed.
Mono-crystalline chips are much smaller than their poly-crystalline counterparts, and only one type is currently available.
It is more expensive to produce but results in greater quality and efficiency. Poly-crystalline chips are what most people refer to as “silicon splices” or “solar tiles.”
Poly-crystalline chips have been used for decades, but it was not until around 2005 that manufacturers started producing them with high enough efficiencies to be cost-effective.
These new chips are different than older chips in that they don’t require any additional materials or processing beyond creating an n-type impurity doping layer and a p-type impurity doping layer. This is all the chip needs to function.
No separation layers, absorber structures, or electrodes are required. This makes the chips significantly easier and cheaper to manufacture.
Go Green, Save More: Explore our Solar Switch Review to see how you can reduce bills and carbon footprint effortlessly.
Solar panels are considered long-lasting
Although they’re made of lightweight material, Switch last many years—modern solar cells with organic materials that convert energy very efficiently.
What makes solar cell technology so powerful is how seamlessly it can be combined with other technologies to create projects like the electric vehicle or the computer you’re reading this on!
Solar panel companies have been focusing on efficiency for decades, which is why their products last a long time. Here are more reasons to believe in solar power.
It’s cost-effective and needs a little extra space.
According to a study by the International Energy Agency, photovoltaic systems installed in 2010 will return 775 dollars worth of electricity per year (before capital costs).
They concluded that PV is reliable, efficient, and affordable compared to traditional electrical generation sources.
There’s no shortage of sunshine to help fuel our homes, workplaces, and schools. Globally, there may be as much sunlight available as humans need to work or live.
That means we have an unlimited power source right at hand — if only we use it.
They’re quiet
One of the biggest benefits of Switches is that they’re very low-humming compared to other forms of electricity generation. That makes them great for reducing noise levels in your home.
They produce power quickly
Even if you have an extremely large roof, it can still take days before you see any results with solar energy. When you buy a panel, it produces limited energy immediately.
However, the panel will become more efficient and eventually be fully charged over time. Then again, depending on your panel type, you may need only half-charged it.
That means less work for you! And your battery charges stay longer.
There are different types of solar panels.
They come in several shapes and sizes, enabling them to fit various structures. Most systems use monocrystalline silicon, polycrystalline silicon, or multicrystalline silicon cells.
There are also tandem arrays, which permit higher efficiency rates for transforming electric energy into heat or light. Tandem arrays are better at converting solar energy into electricity.
They can be found either on land or in water. And they’re becoming an increasingly common sight along the coast.
Some organizations have even set up programs that offer a free switch to individual owners who need them. These homes then pay a lower rate to cover the installation cost.
That way, the taxpayers themselves don’t end up paying for it!
Solar panels can be made clean and green.
While some may believe that solar energy is too expensive to be feasible, studies show that it’s possible to keep the costs down.
There are several ways to reduce the cost of solar power, from using cheaper materials to reducing the price per kilowatt-hour.
Here are the top ten cheap things you can do to lower the cost of your solar system.
Use thicker glass in your windows. Thicker glass is less efficient at blocking infrared radiation but allows for more ultraviolet radiation than thin window glass.
Block UV radiation with shade or reflective shades. Shading should be considered when there is insufficient sunlight to make sufficient electricity.
Make your building face south and replace the roof air conditioner. Electricity generated by the sun can also be used to cool your building.
Facilities management systems use concentrated (or “spot”) light to light common areas such as walkways, stadiums, or warehouses.
Concentrated lighting results in fewer photons (ions/energy) entering a room, which reduces overheating and electrical usage.
