Solar energy is the cleanest, most abundant, renewable energy source available. And the U.S. has some of the richest solar resources shining across the nation. Today’s technology allows us to capture this power in several ways giving the public and commercial entities flexible ways to employ both the heat and light of the sun.
The greatest challenge the U.S. solar market faces is scaling up production and distribution of solar energy technology to drive the price down to be on par with traditional fossil fuel sources.
Solar energy can be produced on a distributed basis, called distributed generation, with equipment located on rooftops or on ground-mounted fixtures close to where the energy is used. Large-scale concentrating solar power systems can also produce energy at a central power plant.
There are four ways we harness solar energy: photovoltaics (converting light to electricity), heating and cooling systems (solar thermal), concentrating solar power (utility scale), and lighting. Active solar energy systems employ devices that convert the sun’s heat or light to another form of energy we use. Passive solar refers to special siting, design or building materials that take advantage of the sun’s position and availability to provide direct heating or lighting. Passive solar also considers the need for shading devices to protect buildings from excessive heat from the sun.
As global climate change impacts the way the U.S. addresses environmental policy, conducts business and harnesses energy, the solar energy industry is leading the way with a renewable energy source that creates economic growth and reduces carbon emissions. Solar is an emission-free source of electricity and hot water that can be immediately deployed to reduce the nation’s growing carbon footprint.
Source: The Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA)
- New solar installations nationwide increased by more than 40 percent from 2006 to 2007.
- In that timeframe, expansions of solar energy companies resulted in 6,000 new jobs, 265 megawatts of energy and more than $2 billion of investment in the U.S. economy by Wall Street firms such as JP Morgan, Chase and Goldman Sachs.
- A recent study from Navigant Consulting found that more 115,000 jobs and nearly $19 billion in U.S. investment could be lost in 2009 alone if Congress does not extend the solar and wind tax credits. In the solar energy segment 39,400 of those jobs and $8 billion in investment are put at risk.
- The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) estimates that an additional thirty gigawatts of solar energy would result if the Investment Tax Credit is extended for 8 years. This is enough energy to power more than five million homes!
