Most homeowners and business owners know it can be beneficial for them to install solar panels in a roof. They know that doing so can save them money on their energy bills. In some parts of the country, it has become popular to use this money-saving technique.
Before you go looking for the best solar company in Florida, though, you should know that the technology associated with these solar panels is always changing and improving. It has not remained stagnant since their first appearance several years ago.
Let’s take some time to talk about the latest advancement in solar panel technology. If you are not convinced yet that buying some panels is the best move for your home or business, then this might be the information that pushes you to purchase and install some. We will also discuss some advancements in solar technology in general that do not just apply to panels you might buy for the buildings you own.
More Lightweight And Flexible Panels
Let us start by talking about the kind of panels that you might install on the roof of your home or business. In the past, some people shied away from this technology because they believed the panels were too heavy and rigid. That might have been true at some point, but not so much these days.
The panels you can purchase now are considerably lighter and more flexible than what was available twenty or even ten years ago. Most of this can be attributed to a demand for panels that would be installed on curved surfaces.
Some building owners wanted solar panels, but the structures in question had curved roofs. This led to solar panel makers taking a close look at the materials they were using up to that point.
Some of them started to look at materials that could be bent or otherwise manipulated. It was a novel concept, and one that eventually led to some exciting results.
Many of the current panels that are available can be manipulated so they fit snug on steep surfaces. They can be rendered transparent.
This opens up possibilities that didn’t exist before. It has led to some companies installing solar panels not just on roofs, but also integrating them into clothing and installing them on vehicles.
Bifacial Solar Panels
The bifacial solar panel is another recent innovation in this area. Old solar panels could only absorb light on one of their sides. This was an obstacle that manufacturers couldn’t figure out how to get past for quite some time.
Now, they have finally managed to create panels that can absorb sunlight on either side. This means they can generate electricity from both their backs and fronts.
You can get more energy generation from each panel that you install. Large-scale panels now become more practical because they are much more cost-effective than what you would get with previous generations of this technology.
EV Charging Stations With Solar Panels
Now, let’s move beyond solar panels that you can install on the roof of your home or business. There are now also EV charging stations that can be constructed with solar panels included.
Direct current (DC) electricity is what can be used to power modern electric cars. This kind of electricity, though, first needs to be converted into usable alternating current, more commonly known as AC electricity in automaking circles.
There are now advanced inverters. They can be used to enhance efficiency, grid integration, and overall power quality with solar panel systems, including ones you can use to charge your EV.
A more stable and reliable solar panel system that can help to power your car is cost-effective and useful at a time when more consumers are getting away from gas-powered vehicles. Charging your car with clean energy is like the Holy Grail as far as vehicle manufacturers are concerned.
With so many charging stations appearing in more populated areas that make use of this technology, it makes it much more palatable for families to switch over from gas-powered cars to EVs.
Floating Solar Farms
Floating solar farms have also started to appear recently. This is another innovation in the renewable energy field that is making major waves.
They can be constructed in reservoirs and lakes. They save land space, but they are also ideal because they can take advantage of the cooling effect of the water. This is a way of making sure they take in the sun’s beneficial rays without overheating and malfunctioning.
Floating solar power is part of a new move toward so-called offshore energy. Many countries are looking into and experimenting with it, including the US, Singapore, Thailand, the UK, China, France, and Japan.
Having floating solar farms in placid bodies of water is ideal, since they tend to have fixed-bottom foundations.
Internet Of Things
The Internet of Things, sometimes abbreviated as IoT, also shows a lot of potential as an area that can use solar panels. With IoT, you can easily monitor what is happening with solar panels you’ve set up in a relatively remote locale.
That enables companies that have set up solar panels in large numbers for various purposes to know when bad weather is coming in. They can make the necessary adjustments to the panels to protect them.
Expensive installations can also now use solar trackers. This tech can be used to alter the alignment and angle of existing panels.
They can be manipulated with IoT so that they are fixed in the perfect spot to take advantage of as many of the sun’s rays as they can collect and convert to electricity on any given day. They can even be used on cloudy days, as the sun’s rays are still getting through the clouds, even if humans can’t necessarily detect them with the naked eye.
You can easily see that solar panel technology has now gone far beyond merely affixing the panels in your roof and collecting electricity. That’s still a great way for the average consumer to utilize them, though.
Daniel is a Cinnamon Hollow author passionate about house and home, renovations, homesteading and DIY.
