The production of solar energy has been researched, developed, experimented with and gained popularity as a lucrative business since 1860s with the onset of the Industrial Revolution. However, there were bad periods as well. At the beginning of the 20th century, energy experts believed that coal would be enough to cover energy needs of the World. The resulting increase of coal production and with easy availability of petroleum interrupted attempts to research more about solar energy. So, the development in the field nearly stopped.
A significant milestone of solar energy came, when solar was perceived as an alternate energy source during the oil crisis in 1973. When Egypt, Syria, Tunisia and the OPEC countries imposed the infamous oil embargo and the USA retaliating to its decision of supplying armaments to Israel during the Yom Kippur War, this opened a door to a new research in the field of solar energy as NATO and many other countries realized solar power could be a potent alternative to the Arab’s fuel.
When the USA started Federal Photovoltaics Utilization Scheme, Japan began the Sunshine solar energy projects, while Germany jumped the bandwagon starting the Fraunhofer Institute to produce Solar Energy Systems. During this period, the USA started producing solar water heaters as commercial ventures as well. Since 1990, the production growth rate of solar power energy has been showing a 20 percent increase. Water heating using solar power is now used vastly throughout the world.
The UK government recognized more than ever the value of solar energy schemes at the beginning of 2010. It started a monetary supportive scheme for the production of solar energy. Under the scheme, solar powered electricity receives a confirmed price for a unit. This pricing system boosts the solar business to a great scale. Other countries such as Italy, France, Germany etc., are already paying fixed prices for a unit of solar electricity taking solar energy to a new level.
In the USA, the solar energy business now requires more skilled contractors and workers in the field of solar energy as never before. Many institutions provide training in solar energy and its related products. As the world turns its attention towards a green economy, business in the solar energy field has reached an unprecedented demand and is growing rapidly.
The big idea of a solar farm
Solar farms could be compared to other energy producing plants. They produce approximately the same amount of energy as fuel burning energy plants, the main difference is that they produce energy form the sun and not by burning fossil fuels. The use of solar power instead of fuel reduces the toxins emitted into the atmosphere tremendously.
This is the reason that many companies are not only looking to invest in solar farms but are also branching out to create such farms on their own. This not only reduces the carbon emissions by energy generating plants but also decreases their dependence on fuels.
Although the earth receives enormous amounts of sunlight, the presence of clouds and other environmental factors reduces the amount of power that can be generated. The peak hour of energy consumption is during the hottest time of the day, when the availability of sunlight is great and secures the peaking energy demand.
The most productive area for a placement of a solar power plant is in area where is unobstructed sunlight at all times during the year. The space used to set up a solar power is quite large but when it is compared to other sources the amount of space is directly proportional to the production of energy.
Another important feature of solar power plants is that they can be combined with other sources of renewable energy to give constant energy all the time. Solar power plants also give a boost to the local economy by increasing job opportunities, as well as increasing the amount of energy produced and supplied to the area.
Solar energy is a lot cheaper than energy from fossil fuels as the only cost of it is in setting up the farm. There is no investment on a day to day basis as sunlight does not cost anything. Hence after the investment is covered, all the income of the plant will go as profits.
Portable solar energy systems
Portable solar energy systems are a market that grows larger every day. From the practical to the sublime, if it needs to be powered, there is probably a photovoltaic (PV) system ready to do it.
As to the PV system itself, it's claimed that there are systems big enough to power a whole house. There are PV systems for camping, boating, survivalists, parties, computers, small electric appliances, and nearly everything else.
The PV panels come in quite a variety as well. There are large arrays that can be mounted on trailers for agricultural applications such as water pumping, electrical fencing, or portable lighting. There are also smaller panels of various sizes. There is even quite a variety of roll-up PV panels that are flexible and of different size and wattages. If you have a hard time imagining what these look like, you're not alone. If you have seen the movie “Big”, and remember the roll-up keyboard that was being danced on, you have a good idea what the PV panels look like; only, don't dance on them.
There are portable energy systems that could be plugged in a usb port - for example: chargers that promise to recharge your smartphones, iPods, laptops, GPS units, satellite phones, MP3 and CD players, and portable games.
There are even solar powered backpacks and bags. For camping, there are solar showers that promise a pressurized warm water and or spray shower. They come with a black bucket with the instruction to leave it in the sun for a few hours; but that still counts as a portable solar energy system, no matter how passive.
There are portable PV lights, easy to install, that charge by day and twinkle by night, white, red, blue, and green, suitable for Christmas or garden parties.
The possibilities are limitless, and so is the solar energy.