Solar
Power is currently one of the leading sources of renewable energy. Solar panels, made of photovoltaic cells,
convert sunshine into electricity. The advantages
of solar power are numerable. Solar
power lessens our dependence on nonrenewable energy sources, such as fossil
fuels, because it relies entirely on the sun, a renewable resource. Furthermore, solar panels do not produce emissions
and are completely silent. Solar power
is an ideal, renewable energy source except for one major setback: what if
there is no sun? For areas that
experience minimal amounts of sunlight, solar power is not a viable energy
source. In response to this limitation
of solar power, Michael Patterson, an Australian engineer and teacher, invented
Hydrasolar.
Hydrasolar is a solar
tracking device that allows solar panels to self-adjust in order to optimize their
sunlight intake. The rotation of
Patterson’s solar panel relies entirely on the thermal contraction and thermal
expansion of a liquid inside the panel that is controlled by the intensity of
the sun; no electric motors or computer trackers are needed. Patterson’s invention has revolutionized solar
power. Now, areas that receive minimal
amounts of sunlight can still utilize solar power as a renewable energy source.
David.
"Solar Power-Advantages and Disadvantages." Alternate Power. Alternate Power,
2008. Web. 13Nov. 2012. <http://alternate-power.org/solar-power-advantages
and-disadvantages/>.
"New Inventors: Hydrasolar." The
New Inventors. ABC, 2011. Web. 13 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.abc.net.au/tv/newinventors/txt/s1881905.htm>.
Working in the Solar Industry over the summer, I find this article highly interesting. Coming form California, there is no worry about never having sun. The Bay Area is an exemplary location for utilizing Solar tech. Having sun is obviously important for solar technology. However, a common misconception to solar is that heat is an ideal factor for the production of energy through PV cells. Heat actually lowers the efficiency of the PV cells (more for Polly than Mono cells). As the Bay Area is not only sunny, but lacks extreme temperatures, the location is ideal. This new technology, Hydrasolor, appears to be highly innovative. Although my concern comes from the fact that it is based of pathing heat rather than sunlight. Although the two do go hand in hand, there is a tilt and azimuth that will absorb sufficient energy and avoid direct sunlight that will cause the heat to lower the productivity of the PV cells. If the Hydrasolar is tracking heat, it could be counterproductive on hot days by placing itself into an angle that is high in temperature rather than sunlight. As this technology is designed for poorly lit areas of the country, this even is probably rare and would be countered by the increased productivity during low sun periods. A final critique I have on this technology regards roof space. The ideal roof will south, slightly west. Placing the panels in a different direction drastically reduces their ability to capture sunlight throughout the day and various seasons. Often, contractors are pressed to fit a system onto a room in a ideal direction in order to avoid low production . Low production results in more energy being drawn from the grid, resulting in more emissions and a higher energy bill. Ever customer I handled during my short time in the Solar Industry was considering the transition from a financial prospective. These new panels will require a massive amount of roof space. Each panel is individual controlled, not accounting for any of the panels that surround it. This mean the panels will need an immense amount of space between each one. With more space needed per panel, this results in having to move panels onto less desirable facing roof space. This could counteract the increased productivity of the tracking panels, possibly decreasing the amount of power created versus a fully ideal static system. As mentioned, less power means a higher energy bill. A higher energy bill decreases the likely hook someone will invest in the technology.
ReplyDeleteThis is a fascinating technology and I would be highly interesting in seeing the numbers behind the productivity of an entire house system as compared to a static one, both in sunny places like California and not so sunny ones like Pennsylvania.