Photovoltaic Systems

Archive for the ‘Alternative energy’ Category

The value proposition of solar energy is driving great opportunities for homeowners looking to invest in sustainable power production.  In fact, the average installed cost of a solar PV system completed in 2010 fell by 17% from the prior year, and the cost has also dropped an additional 11% so far in 2011, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

In “Tracking the Sun IV: An Historical Summary of the Installed Cost of Photovoltaics in the United States from 1998 to 2010,” LBNL authors Galen Barbose, Naïm Darghouth, and Ryan Wiser detail trends they’ve uncovered by researching 78% of all grid-connected PV capacity installed in the United States.  That’s 115,000 PV systems installed between 1998 and 2010.

They found that a residential PV system has a lower installed cost when placed on a new home, as compared to a retrofit or existing home.  The average cost of a PV system installed in 2010 and less than 10 kW ranged from $6.30 per watt to $8.40 per watt, depending on the state.

Among systems installed in 2010, PV solar systems smaller than 2 kW averaged $9.80 per watt.  Thus, with economies, the larger the installation, the lower the installed cost.

This being said, the report authors indicate that state and utility incentives have declined since a peak in 2002, and the federal incentives have fallen since 2010.  While pre-incentive installed costs fell by $1.00 per watt for residential PV in 2010, the decline in post-incentive installed costs fell by only $0.40/W for residential PV.  The reduced value of federal, state, and utility incentives in 2010 partially offset the decline in installed costs.

Yet the solar industry is creating tons of green jobs.  More than 100,000 Americans are employed in the U.S. solar industry, according to The Solar Foundation, and the industry took on about 6,735 new solar industry jobs in the last year from August 2010 to August 2011.

[+] Download the Tracking the Sun IV report.

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Photovoltaic panels and solar hot water panels both provide useful benefits for the buildings they are attached to, but sometimes there is limited space on the roof, and usually only one or the other is installed. Solimpeks, a solar panel manufacturer based in Turkey, has been producing solar panels for a long time, and has an elegant solution to the problem: a panel that produces both electricity and hot water. It turns out that the Solimpeks Volther dual-use panels increase efficiency more than you might expect.

Photovoltaic solar panels actually lose efficiency as they get hotter. For every 1 degree (Celsius) temperature rise, a typical PV panel will lose about 0.5% efficiency. But combining water heating and PV in the same panel helps to keep the PV elements cooler, thereby increasing the power output. And, the panels produce both electricity and hot water for the building, which is particularly useful for apartments and multi-tenant buildings where there is more demand than there is roof area for the necessary equipment.

In tests, Solimpeks’ hybrid panels have shown an improvement in electrical generation of 20% over conventional PV-only panels, while also delivering water at 140-160 degrees (Fahrenheit). In addition to increased production efficiency, keeping the panels cooled also extends the life of the panels, so they stay in service longer.

Solimpeks makes two versions of the Volther panels.  One (called PowerTherm) is optimized for hot water production, and the other (called PowerVolt) is optimized for electricity production. PowerTherm produces over 600 watts of water heating, plus 160 watts of electricity, while PowerVolt produces about 450 watts of heat and 175 watts of electricity. The dual panels are a more flexible option than the Solar Sandwich system we recently saw, since they are a system of panels, rather a whole roof system.

The hybrid panels are more expensive than either standalone PV or solar hot water panels, and the installation cost is slightly more, as well. But you get the dual benefit of both electricity and hot water from these panels, as well as an extended useful service life. Solimpeks distributes throughout Europe, and is starting to be seen in the US, although they don’t have an exclusive dealer in North America, yet. If you are interested, these hybrid panels can be ordered directly from the manufacturer.

Photo credits: Solimpeks; noticed at Building Green.

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New Jersey-based Englert, a company that specializes in metal roofing and gutter systems, recently earned a citation from Architect Magazine for their incredible Solar Sandwich roof system.  On the surface, it looks like any other standing-seam metal roof with columns of thin-film photovoltaic solar.  Yet below that, to capture the warmth generated from hot metal roofing, there’s a grid of pex-filled purlins with a water and glycol solution for a solar thermal system.

The system connects with conventional heat transfer and distribution systems for residential and commercial hot water systems, radiant floor heating systems, and swimming pool heaters, according to Englert.

Dawn Solar Systems makes the solar thermal component, while the thin-film PV aspect is similar to what’s provided in the EnergyPeak system with Uni-Solar PV laminates.  In this case, it’s the SunNet BIPV system, which uses an Englert metal roof.

[+] Learn more about the Solar Sandwich from Englert.

Credits: Englert.

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Sunverge has released a new Solar Integration System (SIS) package containing an inverter and battery storage unit to complement the standard residential solar PV array.  Brought to the market in February 2011, this new offering will give homeowners the opportunity to attain reliable net-zero energy status and eliminate reliance on the grid.

For less than the price of a typical 5 kW residential system, a homeowner can now opt for a $20,000 – $28,000 system designed with a 2 kW system, inverter, and lithium-ion battery package to eliminate grid demand.  The inverter/battery unit itself is only 24” by 14” deep and 73” high integrating easily into an appropriate space.

The system produces enough power to run a modest home off-grid and bring dependable off peak energy from renewables at an affordable price.  Through Sunverge’s Solar Plus Lease program, a homeowner can even have the SIS system installed with no money down and make the payments through the savings realized from your diminishing electric bill.

“In powering a typical residence, a traditional PV system saves 30 to 50 percent in annual energy costs. A Sunverge SIS meets the same demand at annual savings of 50 to 70 percent,” according to Ken Munson, President of Sunverge Energy.

SIS has a built-in energy management system to utilize stored energy when in highest demand, allowing for electrical loads to be shifted and peak demand lowered, therefore maximizing returns.  The system also integrates into smart-grid technology and communicates with a programmable thermostat, pool pump, and other appliances allowing for real time verification and peak shaving.

SIS is being tested in a pilot project for 34 townhomes in Sacramento in a zero energy community, 2500 R Street, by Pacific Housing.  Priced around $315,000 per home, 2500 R Street will demonstrate the possibility and affordability of zero energy homes.  The townhomes will also be certified LEED Platinum.

[+] More info about Sunverge SIS System.

Credits: Sunverge. 

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