North America today is trailing the rest of the world, in terms of solar cell production. This means we are making and using less solar energy every year, which resorts to us using more non-renewable sources of energy. Being thought of as one of the leaders of the world, wouldn't you assume we would be ahead in this sort of technology? Solar energy is free, clean energy, and its available to anyone. In fact, the cost of solar panels have gone down 60% since when the business began. (http://www.seia.org/research-resources/solar-industry-data)
In 2013, there were 140,000 new solar panels constructed, but this still isn't enough. Solar panels need to be an obvious choice, the only choice. Construction should force solar panels on to homes, instead of building a normal roof. North America could start with solar panels, and branch from there. The possibilities of solar energy are endless. There are already inventions and prototypes available for solar driveways, solar sidewalks, solar parking lots, and much more. Taking the first step towards energy conservation today could leave an everlasting impression on earth and our ancestors to come.
In 2013, there were 140,000 new solar panels constructed, but this still isn't enough. Solar panels need to be an obvious choice, the only choice. Construction should force solar panels on to homes, instead of building a normal roof. North America could start with solar panels, and branch from there. The possibilities of solar energy are endless. There are already inventions and prototypes available for solar driveways, solar sidewalks, solar parking lots, and much more. Taking the first step towards energy conservation today could leave an everlasting impression on earth and our ancestors to come.
- Together, new solar electric capacity projected to be added in 2014 will generate enough clean energy to power over 1.13 million average American homes.
- There are now over 13,000 MW of cumulative solar electric capacity operating in the U.S., enough to power more than 2.2 million average American homes.
- Year-over-year, the national average PV installed system price declined by 15% to $2.59/W in Q4.
- While these price drops are beneficial for solar consumers, the sharp fall in prices, due in part by a global oversupply, has put a serious strain on solar manufacturers worldwide.