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The latest in solar technology

  • by JW

Solar no longer requires large parcels of land or roof space, nor does it need to look boring.

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There are some great new technologies being brought onto the market:

Solar technologies have evolved a lot since they first made their debut in the 1960s. While previously solar photovoltaics (PV) were seen as a thing of the future, today, technological breakthroughs have positioned the industry for huge growth. A series of new developments in solar PV technology also promise to contribute to the industry’s success.

The Latest in Solar Technology | altenergy.org

When most people hear the words ‘solar power’ they instantly think of good ‘ole solar panels on rooftops or in a solar farm in the desert. And with good reason: traditional utility-scale and rooftop solar panels have dominated the solar market until this point. But there are now several exciting new solar panel technologies either in the pipeline or already on the market. These promising technologies will revolutionize the way we think about not just solar, but energy production in general. Solar no longer requires large parcels of land or roof space, nor does it need to look boring.

2020 new solar technology — where are we headed? | solarreviews.com

For example:

Invisible Solar Harvesting Technology Becomes Reality | archdaily.com

Which can in turn have really positive effects on wider aspects of design:

Solar Design: How Architecture and Energy Come Together | archdaily.com

And even help in the trickiest of places:

Energy Efficiency and Historic Buildings: Solar Electric (Photovoltaics) | historicengland.org.uk

When are solar panels acceptable on historic buildings? | pv-magazine.com

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Here’s a useful overview of the basic technology form Arch Daily:

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How Does Photovoltaic Energy Work?

Once restricted to space stations and satellites, photovoltaics are now gaining popularity and becoming an increasingly viable option. Every day, the sun releases an enormous amount of energy, far more than the entire population consumes. Being that the sun is a sustainable, renewable, and inexhaustible source for generating electricity, not using it seems almost counter-intuitive, especially considering the social and environmental impacts of other forms of energy generation. But the technology to create electricity from the sun is by no means simple and still has some limitations, the most significant being price.

The following article attempts to explain some basic concepts about this process, and to highlight important considerations for designing a solar energy system…

How Does Photovoltaic Energy Work? | archdaily.com

File:Solar panels on a roof.jpg – Wikimedia Commons