When most people hear “solar power,” they conjure up images of old-fashioned solar panels mounted on homes or in a lonely field. And for a good reason: until now, the solar market has been dominated by traditional utility-scale and rooftop solar panels.
New solar panel technologies are either under development or are already available. These exciting new technologies can potentially transform how we think about solar power generation and other forms of energy production. If you don’t have much land or roof space, you don’t have to make your solar system seem unattractive. This article will discuss some of the breakthroughs in solar technology.
BIPV solar technology
Integrated photovoltaics in the shape of roofs, canopies, curtain walls, facades, and skylight systems are what the term “building-integrated photovoltaics” refers to. While standard solar PV panels may harm the aesthetics of a structure, BIPV may enhance it.
Solar purchasers, of course, aren’t only interested in the look of their panels; they also care about the cost. BIPV solar panel systems are fantastic news for homeowners since they allow them to save money on construction materials and electricity. You may save money on solar panel mounting methods by using BIPV instead of typical construction materials.
A wall-mounted lithium-ion battery pack, such as Tesla Powerwall, may store electricity generated by the grid or solar panels on rooftops. The pack’s depth from the wall is just seven inches so that it won’t draw attention to itself. The battery can power an ordinary US house for around ten hours despite its thin appearance, thanks to its 10-kilowatt-hour capacity. In addition, a built-in liquid cooling system ensures the device’s safety and longevity.
Enhanced Storage Capacity
When Elon Musk’s Tesla Powerwall battery technology was introduced, solar storage was a discourse about the future. In addition to the current “Powerwall+,” Tesla has released some previous iterations of the Powerwall. Tesla Powerwall is one of the best options for storing electricity in a house.
Floatovoltaics
Cheaper and more efficient silicon panels make it possible to build floating solar farms, sometimes known as “photovoltaics.” According to experts, there are several beefits putting solar panels on lakes, reservoirs, and other bodies of water. In the solar energy industry, “photovoltaics” refer to photovoltaic solar power systems designed to float on water.
Photovoltaic solar noise barriers (PVNB)
Everyone in the United States has long been concerned about the loudness of highway traffic. Forty-eight states have constructed nearly 3,000 miles of traffic noise barriers to combat this problem. Noise barriers have always been built with a single goal: to create cost-effective and practical barriers to reducing noise. However, the US Department of Energy’s mission has recently changed to include noise mitigation with renewable electricity generation.
In the United States, where noise barriers are widely used, the yearly potential for generating solar energy is anticipated to be over 400 GWh. This is equivalent to the yearly use of 37,000 houses in terms of power.
Conclusion
Ground-mounted or rooftop solar panels were the only ways of generating solar electricity in the past. All of this is poised to happen because of all the breakthroughs discussed above in solar.
Additionally, there are a lot of new solar technologies under research or presently being used for home use in 2022. Perovskite solar cells, which have the potential to be utilized in solar paint, are one of the most exciting new developments in solar technology.
