Solar Photovoltaic Panels
Solar Photovoltaic, commonly known as PV, are today's most efficient, cost effective way to harvest energy from the sun. In the 3rd quarter of 2011, the solar industry reached a milestone, with utility scale solar farms that were able to produce energy cheaper than competing traditional energy plants. Now, over a year later, the technology has continued to improve, making it now possible to lock in energy costs with solar at 1 cent per kWh commercially and 4-5 cents residentially.
What makes solar the cheapest form of energy in today's world?
Well, it's simple. Once solar panels are installed, there is no overheard that goes into generating electricity for the next 30 years! Fixed axis installs will require panels to be clean off or wiped down, most likely in the spring and fall months, due to nature's cycle of growing and shedding. In most cases, rainfall will do it for you!
As the price of panels continues to hit rock bottom and the technology consistently improves, solar PV has made its mark in the world and will continue to do so until the world's energy concerns are managed.
Solar photovoltaic panels are subsidized by the US government with federal and state tax incentives available for commercial or residential customers. Solar subsidies are less than the subsidies offered to large corporations involved with oil, natural gas, or coal, but instead of the energy corporation receiving the subsidy, it goes to the company or individual purchasing the system.
Businesses Stand to Win
It is a little known secret that adding PV panels to a business will help reduce overhead in the long term by eliminating energy costs. Imagine the amount of money that can be saved every month or every year, by harvesting the free energy from the sun. How long does the return on the investment in solar typically take? The answer lies in the amount of tax liability a company has in a given year and the system size required to offset their energy consumption. On average, the figure is between 3 - 6 years while the system will last over 30 years.