Solar energy has been the driving force for this planet since the very beginning. Solar energy is the sole reason mankind has come into existence. The energy of the sun reaches us in the form of radiation and heat. Every single fossil fuel out there, for example, coal, gas, oil, etc. are, one way or another, is a form of solar power. That is why The Future of Solar Energy is so important to our future.

Now, because of environmental changes (and other benefits), we need to shift our focus from those fossil fuels to renewable energy like solar energy. Thanks to technological advancement, we’ve come so far in making solar energy mainstream. Let’s have a look at the future of Solar Energy.

Solar energy plant

An energy plant generates usable energy, mostly in the form of electricity. Now, a solar energy plant uses solar energy as the energy source that converts it into electricity. There are basically two types of solar plants: solar thermal plant and solar PV plant.

At first, let’s have a look at the solar thermal plant. In this model, a large amount of solar radiation is concentrated into a single spot, generating immense heat. Using the heat, we can run a turbine or heat engine to generate electricity. In the US, the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System is the largest solar thermal plant. It’s located in the Mojave Desert, sitting on a dry lake bed.

The Ivanpah solar thermal plant uses about 350,000 mirrors to collect solar radiation from about 3,500 acres of land. The reflected solar radiation powers 3 boilers for electricity production. At peak performance, the plant can generate about 380 MW of clean energy! This plant powers about 140,000 houses of Southern California. What about solar PV plants? In these plants, instead of going through different steps, solar radiation is directly converted into usable electricity with the help of solar panels. In the US, the largest solar PV

At first, let’s have a look at the solar thermal plant. In this model, a large amount of solar radiation is concentrated into a single spot, generating immense heat. Using the heat, we can run a turbine or heat engine to generate electricity. In the US, the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System is the largest solar thermal plant. It’s located in the Mojave Desert, sitting on a dry lake bed.

The solar power plants are well and good. However, as things are now, that’s not where the future holds. The biggest revolution is happening elsewhere, on top of the people’s houses. Let’s break things down a bit.

The big solar plants like Ivanpah or Solar Star are remarkable achievements. However, the US may not see more of them anytime soon. Household solar is becoming more and more dominant in the field of clean energy. About 2.6 GW of solar PV capacity was installed in the 3rd quarter of 2019 alone. That’s sufficient for powering about 13 million households of America.

Why this huge growth over the last few years? The price of a solar PV panel has plummeted over years, thanks to the advancement of the manufacturing process. It’s also the consumers as they find it cheaper and more efficient to produce their own electricity.

Another reason behind the rapid growth of distributed solar energy production is the companies that provide them. For example, it’s possible for customers to lease a solar system instead of purchasing it. This allows for avoiding hefty upfront costs.

Final thoughts

The future of solar energy is bright. It’ll continue to grow as people are becoming more and more aware of the environmental impacts of fossil fuels. The incentives for going solar is also quite handsome to refuse. The plant is Solar Star that’s located near Rosamond, California. Completed back in 2015, it was the world’s largest solar farm. The future of solar energy is bright. It’ll continue to grow as people are becoming more and more aware of the environmental impacts of fossil fuels. The incentives for going solar is also quite handsome to refuse.

Solar Star uses about 1.7 million solar panels installed across 13 square kilometers (3,200 acres) of land, generating about 580 MW of energy at the peak performance! By far, it’s one of the largest solar power plants across the globe, only bested by Longyangxia Dam Solar Park in China.

Household solar energy

The Department of Energy predicts that by 2050, solar power would be contributing 25% of America’s electricity needs. Scientists are also working to make solar energy conversion more efficient and less costly than ever.

Interested in starting your journey with solar energy? Check out Choose Green Solar. The service of Choose Green Solar is available nationwide.

Enjoy!