Where Are Solar Panels Used Today

Today solar panels and complete solar panel systems are used to power a wide variety of applications.

Where are solar panels used today.

Uses of solar panels. Solar energy is used today in a variety of ways. In this article we explain what solar panels are used for. Solar energy is the technology used to harness the sun s energy and make it useable.

By 1975 that figure had dropped to just over 100 a watt. This has contributed hugely to solar power s skyrocketing success. Researchers at michigan state university have developed transparent solar panels that could be applied to just about anything. Solar panels of tomorrow might look very different from the ones we use today.

Probably because today more and more people are understanding the advantages of solar energy as our solar technology increases and the cost of fossil fuels rises. In 1956 solar panels cost roughly 300 per watt. Solar power remains after hydro and wind the third most important renewable energy source in terms of globally installed capacity. The researchers have suggested that their clear solar panels could be affixed to vehicles buildings windows and even mobile phones.

Since the beginning of 2014 the average cost of solar photovoltaic pv panels has dropped nearly 50 2. Solar panels allow us to generate electricity which we can then use in a variety of ways. This is enough capacity to power the equivalent of 12 million average american homes 1. If you are more interested in the benefits see our article on the pros and cons of solar energy.

In the sections below we explain the different uses of solar panels. The residential solar market is expected to increase from a little more than 1 billion in 2012 to nearly 6 billion in 2016. Markets for solar energy are maturing rapidly around the. A popular solar leasing model today allows you to pay as you go or you can pay little or no money down.

Today a solar panel can cost as little as 0 50 a watt. In 2012 more than 100 gw of solar photovoltaic pv power was installed in the world an amount capable of producing at least 110 twh of electricity every year. Since the year 1980 solar panel prices have dropped by at least 10 percent every single year. Installations have grown 35 fold to an estimated 62 5 gigawatts gw today.

Today there are practical ways that you can make use of solar energy in your home. Solar energy systems today can now used to power homes cars appliances businesses and cities. However they are also being used to provide solar power to entire homes and commercial buildings such as google s headquarters in california.