“That’s just not practical… You will always need grid power to supplement what your on-site renewables are generating.” So are renewable energy credits (RECS) a good solution, or an “environmental indulgence?” John provides an overview of how RECs work and the pros and cons for using them to account for energy usage by data center operators.

Watch the video

* The biggest disadvantage of solar energy is the initial cost of solar cells. Some households may need more than one to generate enough power, making the initial installation of solar panels very costly.

* Solar energy can only be used to generate electricity during daylight hours. This means that solar panels will not be producing energy for your home for one half of the day.

* The weather can affect the productivity of solar cells.

* Pollution levels can affect the efficiency of the solar cells, making it a major con for businesses or industry that want to install solar panels in heavily polluted areas, such as cities.

One way to do this is by investing in Solar panels. Solar panels are a great way to help the environment, generate income, and reduce your electricity bill.

How Does It Work

Solar electricity works by installing sonar panels on your buildings roof. These photovoltaic (PV) cells capture the sun’s rays and store them and use them to run appliances and lighting. These PV cells are made out of semiconducting material, usually silicon, which react to sunlight causing an electronic charge which then coverts the sunlight into electricity.

Solar panels are measured in kilowatt peak (kWp). This is the amount of electricity that is generated in full sunlight.

Will Solar Panels work For Me

The most important factors are:-

Do you have adequate sunlight to make the most out of solar panels – You will need a south facing building, that is not shadowed by trees or buildings, if your building is in shadow for certain amounts of the day you will generate less electricity.

Do you have a strong enough roof? – In order to install solar panels on your roof you will need a strong roof as solar panels are not light. If you’re not sure ask your installer.

Do you need planning permission? – If you are based in England, Scotland, Ireland or Wales, you will not need planning permission for solar panels if they are below a certain size. However always check with your local authority.

The Benefits Of Solar Panels

Good for The Environment – Solar panels can help cut down on your carbon footprint and can actually help reduce co2 released into the atmosphere. In over 25 years you could had reduced your carbon footprint by 25 tonnes.

Cut Your Electricity Bill – Because sunlight is FREE, you can easily reduce your electricity bill with solar panels. Once you have paid the initial outlay for installation of the panels you will find that solar pv can actually produce around 40% of the electricity needed for your home.

Sell Electricity Back To The Grid – That’s right you can make money from having solar panels installed on your property. For the unused electricity generated from the panels you can sell back the energy to the grid and get paid for doing so.

Feed in Tariffs

Feed in Tariffs or clean energy cash back, are an incentive from the government to make sure you are rewarded for using solar panel energy. Basically you are rewarded for the amount of electricity you make which is then sold back to the government for a set amount. This feed in tariff has been guaranteed for 25 years.

So if you interested in improving your property energy performance thus raising the value of your home, reducing your electricity bill and getting paid on a continual process with a feed in tariff then solar panels are a sound investment.

India already has a head start in the race for renewables, ranking fifth in the world for installed clean energy capacity. Much of that capacity is wind power, but given India’s climate, solar power could prove an even better opportunity. In 2009, the Centre launched an ambitious three-phase plan to generate 20 gw of solar power by 2022, up from just 17 mw today.

But the reality is that solar energy requires capital — a lot of it. While the feed-in tariffs for phase I are attractive, investors remain cautious in the wake of the global economic crisis and need more convincing of a potential project’s viability. Unfortunately, globally, most solar capacity projects thus far have been small in scale and few in number, meaning that investors have too few precedents on which to assess risks and returns.

There are no tested financial instruments that can be “cut and pasted” for solar investments. Investors are also put off by the uncertainty or inconsistency of many governments’ policies concerning emissions reduction, tariffs and incentives. In addition, even though solar technology has been around for decades, it is still an emerging technology: the industry is rife with numerous smaller players, technologies and standards.

So India will need to pave new ground if it wishes to rapidly scale up solar capacity. Nevertheless, India’s targets are achievable, if the government pulls several levers at its disposal.

Establish a clear and consistent regulatory environment: Stable policies are critical to improve the predictability of projects, so that domestic and foreign banks and investors can gauge potential risks and returns. Investors need to be confident that regulation relating to the energy mix, emissions, or feed-in tariffs will be consistent and predictable. At the administrative level, enabling smoother processes for land applications, licences or access to existing infrastructure should be a priority. Two key issues here are clarity on the policy framework beyond 2013 and giving teeth to the Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) mechanism.

Encourage the development of appropriate financial instruments: The capital needed to generate 20 gw of solar power by 2022 could be as high as $30 billion, although it will depend on how quickly costs come down for the technologies. Developing public-private partnerships will require clarity around the types of risk involved, in particular payment risk if utilities are involved, but also around operational and technology risk, given the lack of experience of large scale solar projects.

The partial payment guarantees and support mechanisms offered under the ongoing NVVN tender are a step in the right direction but more will need to be done to attract larger investments. Similarly the proposed National Solar Fund needs to be set up and operationalised fast in order give investors and lenders the required comfort.

Promote best in class technologies and standards: Large-scale solar projects present challenges — but they also represent an opportunity to establish India and Indian companies as leaders in the field. In the way that companies such as Suzlon have captured market share for wind power, innovative solar technology and project know how may also come out of India.

Foreign and domestic investors will look for those sort of partners when examining public-private partnerships and consortiums. A proven track record of a few key partners will enable smaller companies to enter projects and gain experience for the future. The world already associates some of India’s leading companies with expertise and dynamism, so leveraging that association makes commercial sense.

Raising finance to fund India’s solar future is not going to be easy. The government and states will need to commit to coordinated and clear policies for investors to be confident. India is not the only country facing these challenges. Organisations such as the Asian Development Bank or the World Economic Forum are engaging with investors and governments alike to examine models that can increase investment into renewables globally — India is well positioned to play a leading role in these discussions.

The scale of the government’s ambitious renewable energy plans is laudable. Increasing power supply from renewables will not only improve future energy security and help reduce emissions, it will also improve the quality of life and economic prospects for millions. The return on investment in renewable energy will not only be in direct dollar terms but also in terms of the environment, health, skills and job creation.

* By Jon Williams, Partner, Sustainability and climate change, PwC, UK and Bharti Gupta Ramola, Partner, Sustainability Leader, PwC India

Source : www.indianexpress.com

Cons of solar energy panels:

• Photovoltaic panels take quite a lot of energy to manufacture.  Some experts believe that it can take up to 11 years until the energy produced by a photovoltaic panel equals the amount of energy used to make it.  However, most people wanting to install photovoltaic panels intend to use them for longer than this.  And naturally, plans are underway to use solar energy as the source for manufacturing the photovoltaic panels…
• Photovoltaic panels can’t be used at night for obvious reasons without some form of storage cycle – usually a deep-cycle battery.  In areas with a lot of cloudy weather, households that depend on solar energy only may struggle.  Get the right sort of deep cycle battery for your needs – a deep cycle battery designed for motor homes is no good for a regular home.
• You need quite a few PV panels to supply enough household energy.  This writer has seen a household where the owners installed no more than 2m2 of panels: the general rule of thumb was that if you had one light turned on, all was well.  Two lights worked OK, three lights were pretty dim, but don’t bother switching on four – candles will be brighter.  The lights also dimmed if the water pump went into action (e.g. if someone flushed the loo).
• PV panels need to be installed at the right orientation and the right angle to catch the maximum amount of sun.  This angle and orientation can often make the panels a popular roosting place for birds, which means that you will have to clean bird crap off the panels periodically, as this will really block the amount of sunlight reaching the business part of the panel.
• Some people don’t like the look of PV panels on the house.

The declaration will be done via “online” from Kuala Lumpur, said Melaka Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Ali Rustam.

The quest to get developed status for the state under a 10-year plan known as Melaka Maju 2010 had been achieved after the state had met the 32 criteria set by the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development to qualify as a developed economy, he said on the “Helo Malaysia” talkshow on Bernama TV last night.

OECD is a grouping of the world’s 33 richest countries with the highest per GDP. The country with the lowest per capita GNP in the OECD is Turkey at US$13,000 while that of Melaka had already reached US$14,261.

“In just 10 years, which is a relatively short time, Melaka had succeeded in meeting the criteria set by the OECD, which is headquartered in Paris. This is something very encouraging,” said Ali.

He said the improving quality of life in Melaka had been proven in that its poverty rate had dropped to 0.5 percent this year from 5.4 percent in 2000.

In line with the establishment of the Energy, Green Energy and Water Ministry by the prime minister, Ali said Melaka aspired to be a green technology city state in 10 years by emphasising the use of renewable energy like solar and reducing pollution.

“We have invested RM3.2 billion in a solar cell energy plant, Sun Power from the United States, in Rumbia. In the next 10 years, the Rumbia industrial estate is poised to be a solar valley with industries and housing using solar energy,” he said.

Ali said a 120 hectare site in Bemban would be turned into a green city with houses, offices and institutions using alternative energy like solar.

He said the state government had already bought several electric cars in efforts to reduce carbon emissions in tourist areas.

On Melaka’s economy, he said the participation of bumiputeras in the last 10 hectares had been
encouraging, especially in the tourism sector and in retailing.

Ali said the services sector, comprising tourism, education and healthcare, contributed to 70 percent of the state’s economy.

On tourist arrivals, he said Melaka attracted 8.9 million tourists last year from 1.7 million 10 years ago and the target this year was expected to exceed nine million tourists.

On the 2011 Budget, Ali hoped that Melaka would be given funds to develop its infrastructure and facilities, including lighting up the entire Malacca beach.

As for the introduction of a 1.6 km monorail service in the tourist belt along the Melaka River between the Hang Tuah Bride and Hang Jebat Bridge, he said the operators were awaiting licensing approval so that it could operate soon. – Bernama

Source: NST Online [dated 13/0ctober/2010]

1. Solar energy is new. Never have problem about loosing out of sunlight or using it all up. Sun is a a power source that constant, meaning it’s always going to be there every day.

2. The energy which is solar energy is environmentally friendly indeed. If we compared to a fossil fuels which release greenhouses gases, carcinogens and carbon dioxide, solar cells don’t release anything into the air.

3. Solar panels are extremely reliable. There are no moving parts so you don’t have to worry about replacing anything. In fact, most people generate electricity for 1000s of hours with little or no maintenance.

4. Solar cells make no noise while collecting energy. There are no other renewable energy sources that are completely silent.

5. In the long run, solar electricity is cheaper than buying it from the power company. There is a start up cost, but then it starts paying for itself. Once you break even, everything after that is profit. Compare this to paying a monthly bill and getting no return on investment.

6. There is a huge variety of solar panel systems available. Some can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and some cost just a couple hundred. This means anyone can get into solar, there’s an entry point for just about everybody.

7. You’re not required to connect to the power grid. You can be completely self-sufficient and live off-the-grid. Imagine never paying another monthly bill or hook-up charge.

8. Sell excess electricity. If you build a large enough solar panel system, you can make your electric meter spin backwards! Most power companies will gladly buy or credit you for this excess electricity. Contact your local power companies for more details.

9. Government tax credits. Most governments will provide some kind of tax credit or incentive for people purchasing solar energy systems. On average, rebates usually cover 20-30% of the system cost. Contact your local representatives for more details.

10. Solar technology is constantly improving. Solar installations are increasing by an incredible 50% every year, most of which are small homemade systems. Learn how to make your own solar panels and use the benefits of solar [http://www.squidoo.com/renewableenergyforhome] energy to your advantage.