subject: Why Now Is The Time For Solar Panels [print this page] The photovoltaic effect- the method with which voltage (or an electric current) is produced in a material when exposed to sunlight- was first observed by the French physicist A. E. Becquerel. The potential of effects of the photovoltaic cell werent understood immediately, however; the first photovoltaic cell was less than 1% efficient. It wasnt until over a hundred years later in 1954 that the potential energy production of photovoltaic effect was harnessed by the development of the silicon photovoltaic cell. Running first at 4% efficiency and later at 11% efficiency, the silicon photovoltaic cell was the first solar cell produced that was capable of converting enough of the suns solar energy to electricity to power most electronic equipment. Now, the majority of commercial solar panels Los Angeles are 15-20% efficient, meaning that they are capable of converting 15-20% of the light that hits its panels.
The growing efficiency is great news for home and business owners. Not only is the efficiency of solar panels going up, but the cost of installing solar panels is going down. The ever increasing cost-effectiveness of solar panels is perhaps most evidenced by the fact that the Solar Energy Industries Association has reported an 85% jump in the demand for solar panel installations in the first quarter of this year in comparison to the same period the year before.
Federal and state government subsidies are also fueling the growing demand for solar panel installations. On the federal level alone, a tax credit that is equal to 30% of the cost of the solar panel system installation is given to individuals, businesses, and investors who purchase solar panel systems. Depending on the state, state incentives, subsidies, and tax cuts are also given to those who choose to invest in a solar panel system; these state incentives in addition to the federal tax credit, can potentially reduce the cost of your solar panel system by as much as 50%. On top of all these incentives on the federal and state level, on the local level, there is an additional reason to consider a commercial solar installation Los Angeles: any energy you produce with your solar panels but dont use is sent back to the energy grid- in other words, if you produce more energy than you use, the local utility company will end up paying you for the extra energy you produce!
With more and more technology being developed that allows for better weather forecasts, more efficient renewable energy storage in batteries, and a better understanding of where energy needs to be directed in order to reduce the overall demand of the energy grid, the demand for solar power, and the ease and cost-effectiveness with which to install them, is sure to grow.
