The New Technology of Solar Panels

Renewable energy forms are becoming more researched, easier to produce, and cheaper to purchase for governments, corporations, and private homeowners alike. This can help you save on energy costs on a personal level while helping to reduce harmful effects on the environment on a global level. There are six main ways that solar power is improving in a meaningful way, including the panels you see on rooftops around the world.

Rooftop Panels

Rooftop solar panels are common enough sights these days that homeowners are seriously contemplating the investment. In some states, you can get a tax break for installing these panels as well as the savings you can see on your energy bills. It is a good idea to check with your local regulations to see what types of panels you can install and how to legally and safely connect them to the system. As these panels become more popular, they also become lighter in weight and less expensive to purchase for more powerful units.

Photovoltaic Noise Barriers

One of the biggest innovations in solar technology is the invention and use of photovoltaic, PV, noise barriers. These barriers can be seen alongside major roadways to shield homeowners and businesses from traffic noise, and they can funnel solar power into the grid at the same time. When the thousands of miles of existing noise barriers are combined with new innovations to the efficiency of photovoltaic panels, renewable energy sources can be more accessible than ever.

Solar Fabric

Researchers are working to create photovoltaic filaments for use in clothing and other fabric items. These fibers can be integrated into items such as coats, awnings, and window curtains to help provide energy for buildings and individuals. For instance, you could have a winter coat with PV fibers in the outer layers providing power to phone chargers, warming units, or even speakers in the inner layers. Energy gathering awnings can help power streetlights and business signs, and PV curtains can help reduce your energy bills by blocking the heat from the summer sun as well as powering your television set.

Solar Skins

Solar skins are designed to increase the aesthetics of panels while still providing the power that you need. These printed and imbedded skins filter light through to the PV panels while giving you the option to blend the units in with your building, or even turn the panels into an advertisement or sign. These skins also hide metal components and sit lower to give you a better aesthetic than the industrial looking panels.

Building-Integrated Photovoltaics

Building-integrated photovoltaics are another aesthetic answer to traditional panels and can be seamlessly incorporated with your skylights, rooftops, and other architectural features. This can help you generate power without a visible unit breaking up the flow of your building. As photovoltaic technology becomes more efficient and easier to integrate, you can expect to see whole cities powered by solar energy with no visible panels.

Floating Solar Farms

One of the biggest issues with generating solar power is the fact that you need a considerable chunk of real estate to build a solar farm on. This is where floating solar farms, or floatovoltaics, can really come in handy. These can be cheaper to build and even increase the efficiency of the panels because the water has a cooling effect on the units. You can install these on reservoirs or other bodies of water to take up less land.

Every year the solar power industry finds new innovative ways to make photovoltaic products more appealing to the general person, and to government entities by making them less expensive, less obtrusive and more efficient. You can find everything from disguising films to integrated units to make panels more aesthetically pleasing for almost any building. You can also find wearable and portable units to charge your phone on the go or keep you toasty during winter activities. The future seems as bright as the sun for the industry.