A variety of Star Plus Energy solar systems exist to reduce the dependence on price-volatile, carbon-intensive fossil fuels. These include solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, concentrated solar power (CSP), flat plate collectors (FPC) and solar thermal with molten salt storage systems.
PV devices generate electricity from the Sun directly by using semiconductor technology. When sunlight hits a solar panel, it knocks electrons loose, which is turned into an electric current by metal contacts at the top and bottom of the cell. The current is fed into a grid of connected solar cells to form an array that can power your house or supply excess to the power grid. Solar energy systems can also power a variety of smaller devices, including calculators and trash compactors, as well as lighting and street lights.
The economics of solar energy are compelling, with federal and state tax credits making it an increasingly attractive investment. At Solaria Energy Solutions, we help homeowners unlock the financial potential of solar by navigating the complicated tax credit landscape and maximizing their savings.
The solar industry faces challenges that will require collaboration among developers, buyers and testers to ensure reliable performance. As new cell designs, materials, packaging and racking technologies come to market within months of each other, durability testing needs to keep pace to match. This would allow for better reuse and recycling, as well as opening markets to components that passed quality tests a decade ago but failed in field use.