20 Facts And Figures About Solar Energy

Here are 20 exciting solar energy facts that could be of interest to those considering converting their homes into renewable solar energy (partly or entirely). These fun facts about solar energy could also be of interest to any aspiring solar energy enthusiasts.

20 Solar Energy Facts and Figures

1. Solar panel technology emerged in the 1800's.
2. The first "true" solar panels were created in the 1950s.
3. Solar cell's efficiency may be as little as 4% (organic cells) or as much as 40% (experimental multiple-junction solar cells). The higher the efficiency of the material, the more expensive it will be to manufacture it.
4. One 100W light bulb that's constantly on, costs around $100 per year.
5. One photovoltaic roof shingle can produce as much as 15W of electricity. Several solar roof shingles could run one 100W light bulb that's constantly on.
6. A solar cell with 10 percent efficiency output and a 100 sq centimeters (15.5 sq inch) surface can produce about 1W of power.
7. An average household uses about 9,000kWh of energy annually.
8. A 350 Sq foot panel that produces 15W of power per Sq foot would produce a total of about 9,000kWh of energy yearly, which could power an average household with all the energy that it needs.
9. An average homeowner that uses electricity from their utility grid could spend $50,000 in the next 25 years on their electric bills.
10. Tax incentives for buying solar can be as high as 30% of the purchased solar powered system's cost.
11. In the US, tax incentives can result in shortening the time for the panels to pay back for themselves down to as little as 6-8 years.
12. You can get solar panels for free from homeowners or businesses upgrading their systems.
13. Solar panels typically have a 20-25 year warranty and 40 year lifetime expectancy.
14. In order to achieve the most out of solar panels, they have to be facing south and be installed at 20-50 degree angles.
15. You can wire solar cells to increase the Voltage of the system (series wiring), to increase the Current of the system (parallel wiring), or to increase both, Voltage and Current (series/parallel wiring).
16. Solar powered systems with a battery can provide a homeowner with electricity even during the time of local power outages.
17. You do not have to connect a home in the woods to a power grid, if you provide it with a powerful enough solar power generator.
18. Solar energy is very safe for the environment, since it produces negligibly small amounts of elements, and only during the process of manufacturing the solar materials.
19. In the future, we may see cars and houses painted with a translucent solar paint to generate energy.
20. Solar energy won't run out until the sun ceases to shine, which is estimated to happen in about 5 billion years from now.

As you can see, there are numerous good solar energy facts. It's also a fact that the whole world is anticipating further drops in the price of solar material, so that everyone will be able to enjoy all of the solar power benefits at a reasonable cost.

About the Author
Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.solarpanelmanual.com which focuses on solar energy. Please visit his web site to learn more about solar panel installation.