Solar Energy Information

Solar Energy is not a very viable option in Pennsylvania as there are only an average of around 170 to 180 days of sunlight each year. Many of the solar cells used today require direct sunlight for their photo cells to create electricity. Solar cells are made from solar grade silicon chips.

Solar energy is most used in states like California where most days out of the year are full of the beating sunshine. Google has created a huge solar grid on the top of the Googleplex which uses solar power to run a great deal of the facility. It is great to see a big company setting up something that massive to help the environment. Since they are located in Mountain View, CA, Google gets plenty of sun for their solar grid and it is foreseen they will just keep adding more cells to it.

Solar Energy Prices

Solar energy will continue to become cheaper to implement as more people adopt it and use it regularly. The technology has been around for years, but it has always been pretty expensive to buy the solar panels you needed to create the energy. It will be interesting to see how the price fluctuates as solar energy equipment gets better and becomes more popular in the mainstream.

They have made huge steps in creating solar cells that produce more energy for the amount of light they take in. There is currently a solar cell going through patent procedures that creates much more power for the solar cells by refracting the light and magnifying it before it hits the solar cell. It works similar to if you were to take a magnifying glass into the sun's light.

Home Solar Energy

Using solar power for homes is becoming more popular as prices on solar cells have been coming down in recent years. Home solar power for heating and hot water is quickly becoming the alternative to home heating oil and gas heat. Even houses in Pennsylvania where the sun is not out as much as say a state like California have been adding solar panels to their roofs. I know that stores like Fry's Electronics actually carry solar panels in the store. I have no yet found a place like that in Pennsylvania, and I think that you would have to order something online or from a catalog. A home solar energy system will need to be hooked up by a professional electrician. Never mess with electricity unless you know what you are doing. It can be fatal if you make a mistake.

Portable Solar Energy

If you are on the go, or just like to have options for the placement of your solar panels, portable solar power may be your answer. Some portable solar panels are very small. I used to use one that plugged into my cigarette lighter and recharge my car battery. This was called a trickle charger. As for other portable systems, I have seen several systems and they are all pretty slick. Many of these portable solar energy systems are basically a solar power plant on wheels. Of course, you can build this all yourself with the right materials, but I believe there are some companies that sell you the whole system with batteries. Within the last year I have seen a local organic farm start using these portable solar power panels to power what I am guessing is their watering systems. I have not figured that out yet, but check out their website for more info on the environmentally sustainable farming practices they use on the Charlestown Farm.