What is Solar Energy
Solar Panel
Solar energy is, simply, energy provided by the sun. This energy is in the form of solar radiation, which makes the production of solar electricity possible.Electricity can be produced directly from photovoltaic, PV, cells. (Photovoltaic literally means “light” and “electric.”) These cells are made from materials which exhibit the “photovoltaic effect” i.e. when sunshine hits the PV cell, the photons of light excite the electrons in the cell and cause them to flow, generating electricity.Solar energy produces electricity when it is in demand – during the day particularly hot days when air-conditioners drive up electricity demand.In use, solar energy produces no emissions.
One megawatt hour of solar electricity offsets about 0.75 to 1 tonne of CO2.PV panels are being used increasingly, both in the city and in remote locations, to produce electricity for households, schools and communities, and to supply power for equipment such as telecommunication and water pumps.
The majority of solar PV installations in Australia are grid-connected systems.Solar power is energy from the sun. "Solar" is the Latin word for "sun" and it's a powerful source of energy. Without it, there will be no life. Solar energy is considered as a serious source of energy for many years because of the vast amounts of energy that is made freely available, if harnessed by modern technology.
Also, electricity for remote and regional Australian communities has been supplied by solar energy for many years.
Australia is one of the sunniest countries in the world and there is huge potential for solar PV to make a significant contribution to electricity generation.
Solar energy is not only sustainable, it is renewable and this means that we will never run out of it. It is about as natural a source of power as it is possible to generate electricity.
The creation of solar energy requires little maintenance. Once the solar panels have been installed and are working at maximum efficiency there is only a small amount of maintenance required each year to ensure they are in working order.
They are a silent producer of energy. There is absolutely no noise made from photovoltaic panels as they convert sunlight into usable electricity.
There are continual advancements in solar panel technology which are increasing the efficiency and lowering the cost of production, thus making it even more cost effective.
Factors of Solar Energy
Solar cells
Solar cells are devices that convert light energy directly into electrical energy. In these cells, there are semiconductors (silicon alloys and other materials). You may have seen small solar cells on calculators or some mobile phones. Larger arrays of solar cells are used to power road signs, and even larger arrays are used to power satellites in orbit around Earth. Solar cells are also called photovoltaic cells or PV devices.
Solar panels
Solar panels are different to solar cells. Solar panels do not generate electricity directly. Instead they heat up water directly. A pump pushes cold water from a storage tank through pipes in the solar panel. The water is heated by heat energy from the Sun and returns to the tank. They are often located on the roofs of buildings where they can receive the most sunlight.
Why Solar Energy
While a majority of the world's current electricity supply is generated from fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas, these traditional energy sources face a number of challenges including rising prices, security concerns over dependence on imports from a limited number of countries which have significant fossil fuel supplies, and growing environmental concerns over the climate change risks associated with power generation using fossil fuels. As a result of these and other challenges facing traditional energy sources, governments, businesses and consumers are increasingly supporting the development of alternative energy sources and new technologies for electricity generation. Renewable energy sources such as solar, biomass, geothermal, hydroelectric and windpower generation have emerged as potential alternatives which address some of these concerns. As opposed to fossil fuels, which draw on finite resources that may eventually become too expensive to retrieve, renewable energy sources are generally unlimited in availability.
Solar power generation has emerged as one of the most rapidly growing renewable sources of electricity. Solar power generation has several advantages over other forms of electricity generation.
Solar energy production does not require fossil fuels and is therefore less dependent on this limited and expensive natural resource. Although there is variability in the amount and timing of sunlight over the day, season and year, a properly sized and configured system can be designed to be highly reliable while providing long-term, fixed price electricity supply.
Solar power production generates electricity with a limited impact on the environment as compared to other forms of electricity production.Solar energy can effectively supplement electricity supply from an electricity transmission grid, such as when electricity demand peaks in the summer.As the size and generating capacity of a solar system are a function of the number of solar modules installed, applications of solar technology are readily scalable and versatile.Solar power production facilities can be installed at the customer site which reduces required investments in production and transportation infrastructure.
A growing number of countries have established incentive programs for the development of solar and other renewable energy sources, such as (i) net metering laws that allow on-grid end users to sell electricity back to the grid at retail prices, (ii) direct subsidies to end users to offset costs of photo voltaic equipment and installation charges, (iii) low interest loans for financing solar power systems and tax incentives; and (iv) government standards that mandate minimum usage levels of renewable energy sources.
Despite the cost, an advantage of photovoltaic systems is that they can be used in remote areas. Anywhere a diesel generator is the technology of choice, many times a photovoltaic system is a much better life-cycle cost option.
Stand-alone photovoltaic systems produce power independently of the utility grid. In some off-the-grid locations even one half kilometer from power lines, stand-alone photovoltaic systems can be more cost-effective than extending power lines. They are especially appropriate for remote, environmentally sensitive areas, such as national parks, cabins, and remote homes.
The solar power market has grown significantly in the past decade. According to Solarbuzz, the global solar power market, as measured by annual solar power system installations, increased from 427 MW in 2002 to 1,744 MW in 2006, representing a CAGR of 42.2%, while solar power industry revenues grew to approximately US$10.6 billion in 2006. Despite the rapid growth, solar energy constitutes only a small fraction of the world's energy output and therefore may have significant growth potential. Solarbuzz projects in one of its forecasts that annual solar power industry revenue could reach US$31.5 billion by 2011.
With a renewable energy source like solar, you only have to draw electricity from the grid when you need it. And since you’re only paying for what you use from the grid, you'll save on your electricity bill. Plus you'll generate power for years to come, sometimes, even decades.When your system generates more electricity than you need to use, that additional power is fed back into the grid. By doing this, you might even be eligible for a feed-in tariff.Renewable energy sources like solar can reduce your home's greenhouse gas emissions, which is a great help to the environment.Make the most of government incentives, which can help you save upfront on a solar panel system.
Manufacturers of Solar energy devices
| Sponsor Companies | Region | No. Staff | Production (MW) 2015/2014 | Panel Technology |
 JS Solar  | China | 300 | Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline, Other | |
 Risen Energy | China | 3,200 | Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline | |
 Jiangsu Runda PV | China | 550 | 150 | Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline, Roof Tiles and Shingles |
 ECO PV | China | 3000 | 500 | Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline, Transparent Solar Cell |
 Dokio | China | Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline | ||
 Luxen Solar Energy | China | 180 | Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline | |
 Chinaland | China | 500 | Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline | |
 Suncome Solar | China | 1,200 | Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline | |
 TN Solar | China | 2000 | Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline, Crystalline | |
 Resun Solar | China | 200 | Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline | |
 Anhui Daheng Energy Technology | China | 150 | Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline | |
 Jetion Solar (China) | China | 3,200 | Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline, CIGS | |
 Changzhou GS Energy and Tech | China | Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline | ||
 Shine Solar | China | 400 | 300 | Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline |
 Infinity New Energy | China | 200 | Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline | |
 Tamesol | Spain | 120 | Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline | |
 CSG PVTech | China | 1,000 | 800 | Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline |
 SUNBEsolar | China | 108 | Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline | |
 AE SOLAR | Germany | Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline | ||
 Ulica Solar | China | 500 | Monocrystalline, Polycrystalline, Crystalline | |
 Tripple Z | Germany | Polycrystalline, Monocrystalline |
source; enfsolar.com
Solar equipment makers are gearing up to expand production again after many of them had to idle production lines or close factories. So who are the top 10 solar panel makers these days?
IHS released its ranking today that put Trina Solar as the top shipper of solar panels in 2014, followed by Yingli Green Energy. Both companies are based in China, which has dominated the solar equipment manufacturing business for many years now.
In fact, six of the 10 manufacturers ranked by IHS are Chinese (if you count Canadian Solar CSIQ +5.98% which, though based in Canada, has its manufacturing base in China). The two biggest American solar panel makers, First Solar FSLR +1.44% and SunPower SPWR +1.19%, also made the list.
The ranking reflected shipment figures, including estimates for the fourth quarter of this year. IHS noted that it didn’t count panels produced by these companies that are used internally for building solar power projects, from rooftop installations to big solar farms.
Top solar energy manufactures (source: forbes.com)
1. Trina Solar
2. Yingli Green Energy
3. Canadian Solar
4. Jinko Solar
5. JA Solar
6. Sharp Solar
7. Renesola
8. First Solar
9. Hanwha SolarOne
10. SunPower and Kyocera
The companies on the list really haven’t changed in the past four years even though the solar manufacturing industry suffered through a downturn caused by an oversupply of solar panels. That glut prompted large companies to cut production or shelve factory building plans and forced smaller manufacturers to file for bankruptcy.