| The price of a barrel of oil has never
| |
| | concept. No wonder governments are
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| been higher ($62.00+ in summer 2005 even
| |
| | looking for alternatives. And no wonder
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| before the chaos caused by Katrina). Some
| |
| | everyone is talking solar once again.In
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| say this is a temporary spike, but more
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| | 1985 annual worldwide solar power system
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| and more analysts are agreeing that this
| |
| | installation accounted for 21 megawatts
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| kind of pricing is here to stay. World
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| | of power. By 2004, this had multiplied to
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| consumption is at an all time high and
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| | an incredible 927 megawatts in new
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| given the new thirst for oil in China and
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| | installation power production alone. The
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| India it is unlikely to diminish.
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| | demand for solar produced energy over the
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| According to International Energy
| |
| | last several years has increased annually
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| Outlook, global demand is expected to
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| | about 25%, although in 2004 sales were up
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| continue to increase by as much as 59% in
| |
| | a whopping 67% from the previous
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| the next fifteen years.Already, consumer
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| | year.There are several reasons for this
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| energy bills have been increasing on
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| | increase in popularity for all things
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| average 6.5% per year for the last thirty
| |
| | solar powered. Beyond the obvious
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| years in the United States. Given the
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| | environmental considerations and the
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| dramatic rise in the cost of producing
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| | privilege of not having to rely on power
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| energy using traditional non-renewable
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| | from a grid that is aging and stretched
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| resources, this rate is bound to be
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| | to capacity, solar is getting cost
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| overtaken by unheard of price increases
| |
| | effective. While traditional energy
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| in the very near future. And for
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| | production gets more expensive,
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| consumers who are becoming more and more
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| | technological advances are making solar
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| environmentally conscious, the thought of
| |
| | power cheaper.In 1980 the cost of
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| the millions and millions of tons of CO2
| |
| | harvesting energy from the sun stood at
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| and other bi products being released into
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| | about $100 per watt. Literally a hundred
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| the atmosphere annually through the use
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| | times more expensive than the going rate
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| of fossil fuels in creating energy is
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| | of electricity, these systems were not
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| very alarming.It is a no brainer that our
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| | economically viable. By 1999 however,
|
| reliance on oil to create energy leaves
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| | technology had reduced this to about $4
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| us very vulnerable. There are renewable
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| | per watt and costs have continued to
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| technologies that produce energy, but the
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| | decline by about 5% per year since. The
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| problem has been one of cost
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| | Return on Investment is becoming very
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| effectiveness. It has always been cheaper
| |
| | attractive for many commercial
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| to supply energy using fossil fuels, and
| |
| | organizations and consumers.Efficiencies
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| consequently, renewable sources such as
| |
| | have been realized in several
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| solar or wind power have not taken off.
| |
| | technologies. The inverters that
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| But the situation now appears to be
| |
| | transform the collected DC energy into
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| changing. More and more, our consumption
| |
| | usable AC energy used to deliver only
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| of energy is outstripping supply. The
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| | about 65% efficiency. 35% of the
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| grid can barely keep up with demand and
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| | collected energy was lost in the
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| rolling blackouts are no longer just a
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| | transformation process.
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