Solar energy

Solar power gets its energy from the readily available radiation that the sun emits called photons. Combined with the right elements, photons acts as a stimulant at the atomic level. We’ll dig deeper into how this process produces electricity that could potentially be in the homes of millions of consumers a few years from now. Solar cells uses elements of Phosporous, Boron and a primary element, Silicon. When silicon is mixed with Boron it creates the P type side of the cell which can either have a positive or negative polarity. Silicon mixed with Phosporous produces the N type cell. When the two sides are put together, they create an injunction in the middle where an electric field is formed. Photons emitted by the sun carries energy and momentum. When photons collide with the surface of the silicon cell, it disturbs the loosely bound electrons stored in the cell. The electrons are then set into motion and passes through an electric current route from the cells to generate electricity. After the electron is exhausted, it returns into the other side of the silicon where the cycle starts all over again. This process happens billions of times in a second until enough current is generated to power something. Most solar power systems incorporates a battery that can be charged into the route. This system can store more energy when no electric unit is plugged. Allowing access to almost the same amount of energy when the amount of sunlight is less and especially at night.

This type of energy seems very promising. Looking at the cost to generate the power needed is very cheap looking. Yes it is renewable and abundant since it gathers energy from the sun, but its current economics looks very disappointing. The cost to install solar panels on an average home would cost about $30,000. The average home equipped with solar cells can only produce half of the required power demanded. Attempts were made to bring costs down by replacing the solar cells with plastics. However, this alternative reduced the effiency of the panels. Keeping costs down at our current level of technology affects its very utility. However with new techniques such as nanorods, solar cells are back into the spot light and deserves another look into its future potential. After all, technology only succeeds if economics allows it no matter how exceptional the wizardry is. Companies such as Matsushita electric works in Japan and Nanosys. are making collective efforts to develop this new solar energy gathering techniques, that would finally make solar energy available to every consumer. No matter what your views are for this new type of energy, whether its going to reach a technological dead end and would eventually fail, or this could be the energy source of the future, this technology can still be considered at its infancy. Look a flash back on computers and software a few decades back, not a lot of people understood the future of it. Now, computers are as essential to businesses as a working capital and a positive cash flow.

Publicly traded solar companies:
First solar inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR)
LDK solar CO. (NYSE LDK)
Spire corp (NASDAQ: SPIR)
Gaiam real goods: (NASDAQ: RGTC)
Kyocera corp. (NYSE: KYO)
Trina solar lmtd. (NYSE: TSL)
Yingli green energy hldgs. (NYSE: YGE)
First colar (NASDAQ FSLR)
Suntech power hldgs. (NYSE: STP)
Sanyo electric Co. Ltd. (Nasdaq: SANYY)
GT solar international inc. (NASDAQ: SOLR)
Evergreen solar: (Nasdaq: ESLR)
Energy conversion devices: (Nasdaq: ENER)
CEEG Nanjing renewable energy co. (NASDAQ: CSUN)
World water solar and technologies corp. (Nasdaq: WWAT)