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How Does Solar Work?

The amount of sunlight that strikes the earth’s surface in an hour and a half is enough to handle the entire world’s energy consumption for a full year. Solar technologies convert sunlight into electrical energy either through photovoltaic (PV) panels or through mirrors that concentrate solar radiation. This energy can be used to generate electricity or be stored in batteries or thermal storage. Below, you can find resources and information on the basics of solar radiation, photovoltaic and concentrating solar-thermal power technologies, electrical grid systems integration, and the non-hardware aspects (soft costs) of solar energy. You can also learn more about how to go solar and the solar energy industry. In addition, you can dive deeper into solar energy and learn about how  the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office is driving innovative research and development in these areas.

Solar Energy 101

Solar radiation is light – also known as electromagnetic radiation – that is emitted by the sun. While every location on Earth receives some sunlight over a year, the amount of solar radiation that reaches any one spot on the Earth’s surface varies. Solar technologies capture this radiation and turn it into useful forms of energy. There are two main types of solar energy technologies—photovoltaics (PV) and concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP). 

Photovoltaics Basics

You’re likely most familiar with PV, which is utilized in solar panels. When the sun shines onto a solar panel, energy from the sunlight is absorbed by the PV cells in the panel. This energy creates electrical charges that move in response to an internal electrical field in the cell, causing electricity to flow.

Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power Basics

Concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) systems use mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight onto receivers that collect solar energy and convert it to heat, which can then be used to produce electricity or stored for later use. It is used primarily in very large power plants.

Systems Integration Basics

Solar energy technology doesn’t end with electricity generation by PV or CSP systems. These solar energy systems must be integrated into homes, businesses, and existing electrical grids with varying mixtures of traditional and other renewable energy sources.

Soft Costs Basics

A number of non-hardware costs, known as soft costs, also impact the cost of solar energy. These costs include permitting, financing, and installing solar, as well as the expenses solar companies incur to acquire new customers, pay suppliers, and cover their bottom line. For rooftop solar energy systems, soft costs represent the largest share of total costs.

Going Solar Basics

Solar energy can help to reduce the cost of electricity, contribute to a resilient electrical grid, create jobs and spur economic growth, generate back-up power for nighttime and outages when paired with storage, and operate at similar efficiency on both small and large scales.

Solar Industry Basics

Solar energy systems come in all shapes and sizes. Residential systems are found on rooftops across the United States, and businesses are also opting to install solar panels. Utilities, too, are building large solar power plants to provide energy to all customers connected to the grid.

Dive Deeper

Learn more about the innovative research the Solar Energy Technologies Office is doing in these areas.  

Original article can be found Here
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Why Seal and Insulate?

Save Energy and Money.

Air that leaks through your home’s envelope − the outer walls, windows, doors, and other openings − wastes a lot of energy and increases your utility costs. A well-sealed envelope, coupled with the right amount of insulation, can make a real difference on your utility bills. EPA estimates that homeowners can save an average of 15% on heating and cooling costs (or an average of 11% on total energy costs) by air sealing their homes and adding insulation in attics, floors over crawl spaces and basements.

Increase Comfort.

Insulation helps keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. When correctly installed, insulation can deliver comfort and savings, especially during the hottest and coldest times of the year. Sealing leaks and adding insulation can improve the overall comfort of your home and help to fix many of these common problems:
  • Reduced noise from outside
  • Less pollen, dust and insects (or pests) entering your home
  • Better humidity control
  • Lower chance for ice dams on the roof/eves in snowy climates
In fact, if you added up all the leaks, holes and gaps in a typical home’s envelope, it would be the equivalent of having a window open every day of the year!

Most Homes Will Benefit.

Most homes in the United States don’t have enough insulation and have significant air leaks.  Did you know that 9 out of 10 homes in the U.S. are under-insulated? Sealing air leaks around your home and adding insulation are two of the most cost-effective ways to improve energy efficiency and comfort in your home. By tackling both projects, you can maximize your comfort and save up to 10% on your annual energy bills. To find more information and energy savings opportunities, visit Seal and Insulate with ENERGY STAR.

Original article can be found Here
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Industry Goal Targets 30% Solar by 2030

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is increasing its goal for Solar+ Decade, aiming for solar to account for 30% of U.S. electricity generation by 2030. The organization’s previous goal was 20% by 2030, and this revision aligns with the Biden administration’s clean energy targets while accounting for the growing urgency to tackle climate change and reduce carbon emissions in the electricity sector.

As Congress debates infrastructure and budget legislation, the U.S. faces an unprecedented opportunity to build a robust clean energy economy with solar as the leading source of new power generation this decade. Solar accounts for 56% of all new electric generating capacity additions in the first half of 2021, however, the industry’s growth rate is not fast enough to meaningfully address climate change.

To meet 30% solar by 2030 and President Biden’s clean energy goals, the solar industry must double its deployment pace. Without bold, long-term policy investments, solar will only account for 15% of electricity generation by 2030, far short of what is needed to reduce emissions and address climate change.

“The destructive impacts of climate change are happening now, and it’s time to reimagine our entire electricity system,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, SEIA’s president and CEO. “The solar industry is leading the way in reducing electricity sector emissions, but we’ll fall far short of the 850 gigawatts we need to reach 30% of electricity generation by 2030 without policy action. It’s time for lawmakers to meet the urgency of this climate moment.

If the industry reaches 30% solar by 2030, the solar and storage industry will grow to 1 million workers and add more than $800 billion in new private sector investment.

This target is a critical step in the fight against climate change. Meeting 30% of U.S. energy capacity with solar would cut carbon emissions from the electricity sector by 50%.

The goal also underscores an important opportunity to provide policy certainty for businesses and to make long-term investments in domestic manufacturing. “This target is ambitious, but if we’re intentional and we have the right policies in place, we will create new opportunities for economic prosperity in every zip code in America,” said Ms. Hopper. “This is a once in a generation opportunity that we cannot let slip away.” Learn more about SEIA’s 2030 goals and solar industry’s bold vision for the Solar+ Decade. ###

About SEIA®: 

The Solar Energy Industries Association® (SEIA) is leading the transformation to a clean energy economy, creating the framework for solar to achieve 20% of U.S. electricity generation by 2030. SEIA works with its 1,000 member companies and other strategic partners to fight for policies that create jobs in every community and shape fair market rules that promote competition and the growth of reliable, low-cost solar power. Founded in 1974, SEIA is the national trade association for the solar and solar + storage industries, building a comprehensive vision for the Solar+ Decade through research, education and advocacy. Visit SEIA online atwww.seia.organd follow @SEIA onTwitter,LinkedInand Instagram.

Media Contact: 

Jen Bristol, SEIA’s Director of Communications,jbristol@seia.org(202) 556-2886

Original article can be found Here
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House with Solar Panels

Homes With Solar Panels Sell for 4.1% More

Not only can adding solar panels to a home save energy costs and help the environment, it also can potentially increase a home’s value. During the past year, homes with solar-energy systems sold for 4.1% more on average than comparable homes without solar power. For the median-valued home, that translates to an additional $9,274.

The sale premium varies substantially by market. In Riverside, Calif., for example, homes with solar-energy systems sold for 2.7% more than comparable homes without solar power—a markup of $9,926 for the median-valued home in the metro. In the greater New York City metro, solar-powered homes have a premium that is double that of Riverside. At 5.4%, that’s an extra $23,989 in value for the typical home in New York.

In three other coastal metro areas—Los Angeles, San Francisco and Orlando, Fla.—homes with solar power can fetch a premium of around 4%.

One reason houses with solar-energy systems sell for more than those without them is because they can provide substantial future energy cost savings. For homeowners who know they consume a lot of power, these future savings are worth spending a bit more money up front. It is also possible that homes with solar-energy systems are more likely to have other features that are hard to measure yet valuable, like heated floors, which could contribute to the premium associated with solar power.

Personal preferences play a role, too: More than 80% of home buyers say energy-efficient features are important, according to the Zillow Group Consumer Housing Trends Report.

Methodology

We calculated the solar premium by comparing homes with and without solar-energy systems that were listed for sale and sold from March 1, 2018 to February 28, 2019, controlling for observable attributes of the homes, including bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, age of the home and location.

Original article can be found Here