The future of renewable energy is solar power. More sooner than later solar power will be the highest used energy resource in the world and will be embraced by all developed and developing Nations. According to sources, solar energy could increase by 6500 percent in the next 30 years.
Solar energy production methods are always evolving, as we find new ways to maximize the efficiency of existing solar panels, experts are also on the lookout for new solar technologies to incorporate into our lives. Here are the top 5 solar technologies you should watch out for!

Floatovoltaics – floating Solar Farms

Floatovoltaics, also known as floating solar farms are photovoltaic solar power systems created for floating on reservoirs dams, and other water bodies that will manifest solar power to cater to the modern power requirements of society. These photovoltaic panels are made from silicon and silicon is getting cheaper and more available in the market. This is going to be one of the most desired and reliable sources of energy. solar forms can generate huge amounts of electricity without encroaching upon the land resources that are available and can be done with very low real estate costs. These panels also come with the advantage of conserving water bodies by reducing evaporation also helping us to keep our water sources stable and usable.

Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV)

Building-integrated photovoltaics is almost self-explanatory considering its name. This type of solar power system is integrated into the architecture in the form of roofs, canopies, curtains, walls, facades, and skylight systems. This form of a solar panel is more aesthetically pleasing than traditional solar panels that are just used to harvest energy. BIPV can add a decorative element to your housing or industrial buildings while also reducing the consumption of non-renewable energy sources. Another advantage to this type of power system is that it will reduce your normal building raw materials cutting the cost almost in half.

Solar Fabric

This is one of the most innovative, accessible, and mobile ways of generating your energy from solar power. I’m sure the term solar fabric has had you guessing. This is a fabric developed into clothing that can harvest solar energy while you wear them and are on the move. This innovative technology can easily change the way how we see power requirements during travel. Researchers are developing solar fabrics by integrating solar power into each fiber of the clothing. Using this technique solar filaments will be embedded into your t-shirt, jeans, winter coats, and all the clothing of your choice making yourself a walking Power Bank.

Photovoltaic solar noise barriers 

Noise barriers have been constructed to efficiently block out the noise from disturbing the civilization around. The United States department of energy is evolving by using solar power generating panels to replace these noise barriers which provide a return of investment by being able to generate power that is required to run everything traffic-related and beyond. Right now, these noise barriers are producing enough electricity to power over 37000 homes as an average estimate. The future of sustainable power has never looked this bright.

Solar Skins

The best way to describe solar skins is by saying these are custom design solar film panels that are intended to display a certain image like an advertising banner that also filters the sunlight and produces solar power simultaneously. The concept may be a bit tough to wrap your heads around but this might be the single most used solar product in the coming years. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is working on increasing the efficiency of these solar film skins by working on the light filtration and energy harvesting features.

The century-old question that has puzzled humanity regarding renewable and sustainable power sources for mankind to share is very likely to be solved in the coming years. As solar power becomes cheaper it will be adopted by more and more governments across the world. The private sector will start to catch up to the trend by becoming its provider of power. People who are interested to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to modern technology are already investing in it.

Tanway Engineering, a clean energy council accredited installer, operating in Perth/Brisbane guides rooftop solar panel systems for Commercial/Residential/Business places. We visit your place to get an understanding of your surroundings and guide you in selecting the best fit equipment. Tanway Engineering provides photovoltaic solar systems with varying energy outputs that are suitable for your residence or home or business. Contact us now to know more!

Tanway Engineering, a clean energy council accredited installer, operating in Perth/Brisbane guides rooftop solar panel systems for Commercial/Residential/Business places. We visit your place to get an understanding of your surroundings and guide you in selecting the best fit equipment. Tanway Engineering provides photovoltaic solar systems with varying energy outputs that are suitable for your residence or home or business. Contact us now to know more!

Here are the top 10 solar energy myths debunked!

       1.  Solar power only works during the day

Well, this is not a myth, to be honest. Solar panels can only absorb sunlight during the day to generate electricity. But that does not mean that they won’t be able to provide you with electrical power during the night. So, the energy is produced in the daylight, which is then stored to be used after sundown.

      2.  Solar power does not work on a cloudy day

It is well known that on a cloudy day, we do not get high sunlight but it does not block the entire sun either. Even with the clouds, the solar system will continue to produce solar energy, but at a lower energy generation rate. This means that you will still get 10 to 25 percent of regular energy production on a cloudy day.

      3. Solar Energy is too expensive

As we have explored in our previous topics, solar panels are expensive but it brings a long-term benefit of cutting down big bills once it is installed. It is a great return on investment with great and consistent performance. So, solar energy can’t be too expensive. Did you know? It is much cheaper to produce electricity from solar than coal!

      4.   Solar panels damage your roof

Installing a rooftop solar panel system can be an intricate process bearing in mind the quality and strength of the roof. A very crucial process is checking and inspecting the roof strength before the solar panels are installed. A variety of solar panels are available in the market to match the type of roof you own. And if the roof cannot hold any of those, a standing or erected solar panel system is always an option.

        5.   Solar panels need a lot of maintenance

Once the solar panels are installed on your property, it needs very little maintenance. You would just need to remove dust or debris occasionally and clean the panels with water, because that debris may be affecting the amount of sunlight on the panels, which in turn affects your energy production. They can withstand hard climates. Read more about solar panel maintenance inour blog post “The Need for Timely Maintenance and Cleaning of Solar Panels”

         6.       Solar systems have power during grid outages

Solar systems have power during grid outages only if they own a storage system. By default, the solar panel system will shut down when an outage occurs. This is mainly for safety purposes.

         7.   Solar panels can’t be recycled

First of all, there is very little solar waste created as solar panels have a long life and vast durability. Most solar panels are made of silicon crystalline photovoltaic cells within a polymer material covered by tempered glass and an aluminium frame. There aren’t any toxic chemicals in them. More and more solar waste recycling units are popping up throughout the world so surely there is a way to recycle them.

       8.  Reselling homes is difficult when you have installed solar systems

This is a 100 percent myth. Quite the opposite. When you add a solar system to your property, you are increasing the property valve. This can be a great investment in many different views.  These properties will also sell faster, as the buyers also think of them as a great future investment.

      9.   Excess energy can be stored using batteries

Technically you can’t monitor this. Your system produces the energy during the day and is stored on the battery. And at night, you use up the energy stored, and the cycle repeats. Ad if you produce more energy than you need it goes back to the power grid, but you will have a low electricity bill if you are connected to the grid.

      10.  It won’t last long!

An average solar panel system can work with full power for 25 years. All it needs is a little maintenance and care.

Have you heard of any other solar energy myths? Tell us in the comments below and we’ll present the facts for you!

Installing solar anywhere comes with numerous benefits. When you go solar, you switch to using a renewable source of energy, with that you contribute to a greener planet by reducing your carbon footprint. Fitting a solar panel system on your property means that you are saving up on your energy bills, earning by providing excess energy to the grid. And this lasts for a lifetime, bringing you the best returns on your investment.

Let us just take a moment and see the solar statistics in Australia. Australia has installed over 40 million solar panel systems and 21 percent of electricity produced comes from renewable resources including solar power. Around 20 percent of Australian homes are equipped with solar panels un till the year 2020, saving electricity costs up to 600 dollars every year.

One of the prime factors needed for solar systems to produce electrical energy is great sunshine. This is best part of owning solar homes in Perth because, Perth is the sunniest state in Australia getting an average of 8.8 hours of sunshine according to meteorology data.

As a solar system investor, there’s more than 1 way to financially benefit from it.The first way is the most obvious, you consume all the electricity produced from it within your home, by using your appliances. This will cut your electricity bill right from the get go. Also, this method works best when you can be sustainable with your solar output to fulfil all your power needs. At some point, your solar panels will be producing electricity but there’s no appliance to make use of it. That’s when you’ll need a battery pack to store the excess for later use or sell the excess to your power grid, that brings us to the 2nd method.

Using net-metering schemes you will be able to sell electricity produced by your solar system back to your power grid. And they will adjust this power with your usage from the grid. Australia now provides between 3 and 8 cents per kilowatt-hour of energy you give to the grid. And this may even rise up to 10 cents per kilowatt-hour of energy in the future.

The other method to benefit from a solar system is by making use of government rebates. Governments around the world and in Australia have been subsidizing solar investments. This is to encourage mass adaption of the technology and toward a greener source of power generation. Talk to your local municipality on how to avail of this benefit.

As more and more Australian homes install solar panel systems, solar panels prices have decreased greatly. You can expect to implement a solar system with an average budget of 5000 dollars on your property. It is also vital to note here that; your property is valued at a greater price if you have a roof top solar panel system installed. This can increase your property value by 6 times the price of your installed solar panel system.

So, this is probably the best time to install residential or commercial solar systems on your property to cut out on energy bills, boost your property’s market valve, and reduce your carbon footprint.

Tanway Engineering, a clean energy council accredited installer, operating in Perth/Brisbane guides rooftop solar panel systems for Commercial/Residential/Business places. We visit your place to get an understanding of your surroundings and guide you in selecting the best fit equipment. Tanway Engineering provides photovoltaic solar systems with varying energy outputs that are suitable for your residence or home or business. Contact us now to know more!