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Solar Background

History and Future of Photovoltaic (PV) Devices

The photovoltaic effect was observed as early as 1890 by Henri Becquerel, and was the subject of scientific inquiry through the early 20th century; Albert Einstein's only Nobel Prize, in fact, arose from solar power research.

In 1954, Bell Labs in the United States introduced the first solar photovoltaic device that produced a useful amount of electricity, and by 1958, solar cells were being used in small-scale scientific and commercial applications (especially for the space program).

The energy crisis of the 1970s saw the beginning of major interest in using solar cells for power here on Earth, but prohibitive prices (approximately 30 times current prices) made large scale applications unfeasible.

However, industry developments and research during this period made PV feasible for remote applications (especially for the telecommunications industry), and a cycle of increasing production and decreasing costs began which continues today.

The new millennium has seen PV become cost-effective in a rapidly growing number of areas as research and production advances continue everyday. Global PV market growth has averaged a stunning 25%+ annually over the last 10 years, with worldwide growth rates for the last 5 years well over 35% (meaning installed power doubles every 4 years or less). However, this rapid growth is from a very small base; PV still accounts for a small percentage of electricity generation worldwide.

Given appropriate policies, the coming years will continue to see rapid increase in the use of PV for homes and businesses, including the increased usage of new commercial systems of 500,000 watts or more, as well as small, standardized systems for rooftops, and attractive "building-integrated" devices in commercial buildings. The "virtuous cycle" of increased sales volume and decreased prices will continue to drive itself, and attempts to bring electricity to the developing world will frequently employ solar as the lowest-cost alternative. New, next-generation PV materials currently under research may bring dramatic, unexpected decreases in price.

Source: Solar Energy Industries Association


Solar Basics

Energy All Around Us

Sunlight is made up of tiny energy packets called photons. It is estimated that every minute enough of this energy reaches the surface of the planet to meet the energy demands of the whole world for an entire year. Photovoltaics is the science of capturing and converting this energy into electricity. Photoelectric panels consist of many individual solar cells connected in series. These panels are made of materials like silicon, one of the most common elements on earth. The individual cell is designed with a positive and a negative layer, just like in a battery, that overlap other cells to create an electric field between multiple cells. As photons are absorbed in the cell, their energy causes electrons in the cell to be knocked loose. The electrons then move toward the bottom layer of the cell and exit through a conductive layer to connecting wires. This flow of electrons is what is called electricity. By first combining solar cells to create panels and panels to create photovoltaic arrays, we can produce just the right amount of electricity to perform a specific job, no matter how large.

Performance vs. Cost

The performance of a solar cell is measured in terms of how much of the sun’s energy striking the solar cell is converted into electrical energy. Early versions of solar cells used crystallized silicon wafers that are very costly to manufacture and operate at as high as 20% efficiency. That means that, about 1/5 th of the energy striking the cell is converted to electrical energy. Today, the most common and commercially viable solar cell uses a manufacturing process similar to those used in semi-conductor manufacturing. Micro layers of amorphous silicon are built-up to produce thin film cell structures averaging 7% to 14% efficiency rates. These solar cells are typically opaque, are architecturally limiting, and usually are placed in confined and limited areas, such as roof tops, and continue to average more than double the cost per kilowatt hour compared to power costs from your local electric company.


Solar BIPV

Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) 

In the use of Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV), photovoltaic material in the form of photoelectric panels becomes an integral part of the building: the walls, roof, and, through the use of XsunX Power Glass™ technology, the building’s glass facades and windows. Sunlight striking these photovoltaic components creates electricity. This electricity flows into power channeling and conversion equipment into a building's electrical distribution system, sending electricity to the building's electrical loads. In this application, the skin of the building produces electricity for the building. In virtually all of today’s BIPV installations, this influx of solar-produced electricity occurs in conjunction with traditional electricity supplied by local energy companies and municipalities. 

With the advanced use of BIPV technologies the generation of increasing amounts of power on-site from renewable sources will create distributed power systems less dependant on local power company and grid supplied energy.


Solar Energy Evolution


The Suns Influence

The sun’s energy has been absorbed by our planet for billons of years and is currently being recycled in many forms. In one of its more common forms, the energy stored, in the form of Hydrocarbons, is released when we burn fuels such as oil, natural gas, coal, and wood. As plentiful and efficient as these energy sources may seem today, they all share common limitations. Quite simply, we have become increasingly aware that the use of these fuels to produce energy have negative and costly side effects in the form of air pollution, health and environmental damage, social and political unrest, increasing uncertainties for procuring stable supplies, and, regardless of how hard we want to ignore the facts, we will eventually consume all available supplies.

The End of Oil

Today’s growth in developing third world nations, and the rapid development of technology and automation, has made electricity one of the fastest growing segments of the energy market. With global demand for electricity estimated to increase by more than 70% over the next 15 years, this rapid growth will only further strain and expose the limitations of the world’s current hydrocarbon economies.

The Next Energy Economies

What is needed to cope with the rising demands of the world’s energy needs is the development of new energy economies that employ multiple forms of clean, renewable energy sources. The development of solar, wind, and hydrogen energy sources will help to bridge and eventually sustain the energy economies of the future.

Solar FAQ's

Massive Market Growth and Potential

One of the most compelling aspects to the solar electric opportunity is the shear size and scope of the present antiquated energy marketplace which, in the U.S. alone, stands at over $350 billion annually. Solar cell technology represents one of the fastest growing segments of developing new energy sources growing by more than 30% annually.

Security Issues

Security has become central to U.S. and international policy in the aftermath of September 11th, making clean and distributed energy sources a critical part of any balanced and secure energy portfolio. XsunX solar technology can provide an excellent source for distributed energy sources which allow substantial amounts of energy production on-site, without dependence on vulnerable centralized electricity plants and grids.

Energy Uncertainty

Uncertainty in energy sources has been exemplified by social unrest, terrorism, increasing power shortages, volatility in price, and access to even ample supplies of energy. Distributed power generation in the form of local and on-site renewable energy production is now becoming the focus of many government and business leaders.

Pressing Environmental Issues

Notably, global climate change and health issues have stepped up pressure on countries, companies, and communities to find and use more environmentally friendly ways to meet the world’s growing power needs. The growth of clean-energy technologies is at the top of nearly every government’s, and multi-national organization’s, list of solutions to offsetting rising costs stemming from growing environmental issues.

The Rise of the Developing World

China, India, Latin America, Africa, and Eastern Europe are creating massive new business opportunities for the renewable energy marketplace. Business and governments in these areas are seeking leapfrog energy technologies that help avoid the need for costly power grids and dependence on oil.

The XsunX Application Makes Sense

Every technology has a point in which it becomes relevant both socially and economically. For solar energy its social relevance became evident 30 years ago but its economic and commercial relevance is just now emerging. The potential to spur this relevance exists in XsunX Power Glass™ glass technology. XsunX technology fills the voids in today’s solar cell systems by allowing the production of solar electricity to become part of our environment as a natural use of space. Power Glass™ technology makes more sense of how we use our environments and draw the most from them.

Leading the way XsunX Power Glass™ semi-transparent glazing provide a perfect fit for the wide scale integration of real energy producing products into our environments, without causing disruptive and costly changes to lifestyles.