Solar Energy

Quick Facts about Solar Energy

• A sunny location (like Los Angeles, California, US) receives an average of 5.5 hours of sunlight per day each year.
• A cloudy location (like Hamburg, Germany) receives 2.5 hours per day of sunlight each year.
• 
  
• A 1 kilowatt peak solar system generates around 1,600 kilowatt hours per year in a sunny climate and about 750 kilowatt hours per year in a cloudy climate.
• 
  
• A typical silicon cell solar module will have a life in excess of 20 years
• Monthly average residential consumption of electricity in the US in 2008 was 920 kilowatt hours. (Source: US DOE)
• Monthly average residential electricity bill in the US in 2008 was $103.67. (Source: US DOE)
• 
  
• The typical components of a solar home system include the solar module, an inverter, a battery, a charge controller (sometimes known as a regulator), wiring, and support structure.
• (asr: so 30 KW hours/day )

Solar Energy Wikipedia

Solar Energy Facts: Q2 201
 - Correcting Old Myth
 - Facts on America’s Solar Industry

Module Pricing

Retail Price Summary - November 2011 Update

There is little evidence of any slowing in retail module price drops. It should be noted that retail price moves can tend to lag factory gate moves by a month or more.

The continued drop in prices is being driven by excess module supplies coming from manufacturers that are still producing more than the market can absorb. Additionally,

 -  many do not want to miss out on the anticipated year-end demand caused by the rush to beat tariff reductions at the start of next year in Europe.

 -  In the US, there is also the rush to start installation ahead of the anticipated end to the Federal Cash Grant.

Solar Market Share

Figure: World Net Electricity Generation by Fuel (trillion kilowatt-hours)

The map below shows the quality of U.S. solar resources compared to the two leading countries in solar energy, Germany and Spain.