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Jan 10 2018
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The Craziest Solar Technologies Coming in 2018

By Solar Panel Installation Process No Comments

Solar technology has been in existence since 1876 when William Grylls Adams and his student researcher discovered that you can produce electricity by exposing selenium to light.

This confirmed that it was possible to produce energy from light. This method, however, was not nearly efficient enough to be practical, but it paved the way for the future or solar technology.

From that point until now, there have been drastic improvements in the efficiency and practicality of solar technology. Even though it has been over 100 years since this discovery, we are still at the early stages of solar tech. There is still so much on its way, and in 2018 we will start to see some of these applications come to life.

Lumeta Solar

Lumeta Solar is a solar panel company that is introducing a new solar module that is much easier to install on one’s roof. Their module is a frameless panel that has a strong adhesive applied to its back. To install these panels, you simply peel off the paper that is covering the adhesive and stick the panels directly onto your rooftop. Depending on your roof type and the number of panels, this installation method can take just a few hours.

You can also easily peel off the panels by covering them with a heat blanket for a period of time and then reinstall them in a new area! Their panels have an efficiency of 18%, a power output of 300 watts, and weigh about 26 pounds. This makes the Lumeta solar panel a very good option for homeowners.

Solar Windows

Another exciting solar technology that will emerge on a larger scale in 2018 is the solar window. A solar window is exactly what you would think. It looks like any normal window, but it can generate energy as the sunlight passes through the glass. It does this through a quantum dot coating.

Quantum dots are microscopic semiconductors that are capable of transferring absorbed light to the edges of solar windows where solar cells are added. When the light moves to the edges of the solar window, the solar cell will convert that light into electricity. This breakthrough technology is now making solar window technology much more viable. Right now, solar windows are hard to come by, but there are a number of companies working on solar window technology, so we should be seeing more of these options entering the market in 2018.

Solar Technology on Mars

Solar technology has been used by NASA in their rovers for over 20 years. Now, NASA is working to build large-scale solar power systems that can operate during the day and night on Mars. In this effort, they recruited students to submit proposals by November 30, 2017. Therefore, in the coming year, we should start to see more advancements being made on this initiative.

NASA to get solar power on mars night and day

Solar technology for space applications is very important in the quest to land a human on Mars. In such extreme environments, it is vital to have a renewable and constant source of energy for the machinery that is being used. 2018 will be a very exciting year for solar developments in the space industry.

Tesla Solar Shingles

We have all heard of Tesla’s innovative solar technology that infuses the solar cell into the roof shingle itself. These shingles are sleek, modern, and more elegant than any form of solar tech we have seen. Although these shingles may not be as affordable as one would think, they can be a great option for people who are more focused on aesthetics. Tesla’s solar shingles are definitely something to be excited about for 2018.

Micro-Grids and Blockchain

Micro-grids are smaller and smarter than the traditional electricity grids that are implemented throughout cities and municipalities. These micro-grids would allow neighbors to sell excess electricity to each other and buy it through credits that can be purchased.

The blockchain, which is a very secure and effective method for processing and recording transactions, would be implemented to support this system. Blockchain has made headlines over the last year because of its use in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and others. In 2018, we may see the blockchain being applied to solar technology.

An Exciting Year Ahead

2018 is poised to be an exciting year for solar technology. We will see products entering the market that have been talked about and in development for months. The solar industry is just getting started, so keep your eye out for the amazing new technology that will be released in 2018!

Jan 09 2018
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Solar panel scams

Solar Panel Costs: The Full Breakdown for Installing Home Solar

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Here’s an exciting number. The cost for residential solar panel systems has dropped a remarkable 61 percent since 2010. That’s according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) 2017 solar cost benchmark report.

A solar panel system is comprised of many pieces. You might already know the cost of a solar panel system before and after tax credits, in broad strokes.

Here’s an example of how we can breakdown solar panel cost and what it typically costs for installing a system.  

Current industry average cost = between $3 to $4 per watt

Average size solar panel system = between 5 and 6 kilowatts (a kilowatt is 1000 watts)

For the sake of a concise example, let’s go with these numbers from Solar Action Alliance:

$3.26 (per watt) x 5,000 (watts) = $16,300 per system (before the 30% federal solar tax credit)

But let’s get a little more granular. In the chart below, you can see that while the overall costs have gone down, the reduction comes mostly from hard costs such as solar panels themselves.

Home Solar System Cost

Whereas the soft costs haven’t changed much, typically accounting for anywhere between 55 percent to 64 percent of a new solar system.

Let’s take a closer look at the breakdown of hard costs vs. soft costs associated with installing residential solar panels.

Hard Costs for Residential Solar Panel Installation

Think of hard costs in terms of hardware: the physical products installed to get your new solar panel system up and running.

This is what you’ll pay for the solar panels themselves, inverters, solar mounting racks, a battery for storage, etc.

  • Solar panels can account for about 25 to 30 percent of the total solar panel system cost.

Other hard costs include

  • A solar inverter, which can account for about 10% of hard costs
  • Solar mounting and electrical equipment, which can be another 10%

Here’s a useful pie graph sourced from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Solar Panel Cost Breakdown - Pie ChartSee those “other” costs and installation? Those are soft costs, which we’ll address next.

Soft Costs for Residential Solar Panel Installation

Soft costs include administration costs for the company, customer acquisition and marketing, system design, permits and fees for connecting to the grid, and labor for installation.

Here’s a soft costs breakdown from the Department of Energy.

Solar Soft Costs Breakdown

You’ll notice the percentages for each of these soft costs is smaller but, as they say, it adds up.

In fact, the Solar Industry Information Association (SEIA) just released a report putting the number for soft costs at 68 percent!

To some degree, soft costs are simply part of running a business. In order to keep their doors open, solar energy companies have to pay employees, attract new customers and make a profit.

Solar Energy Costs Overview

Soft Cost Reduction Solutions

The Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technology Office (SETO) launched an initiative called Sunshot in 2011. The goal is to put solar energy financially on par with other energy sources by the year 2020.

Various permitting, entities and laws throughout various jurisdictions can slow down the process of solar installation and raise costs. Through systematizing and unifying solar, SETO is working to cut red tape and prices.

They also fund research for new ways to streamline solar company operations. Better software and processes to help solar companies reach new customers and run more smoothly helps tame soft costs. Through these efforts, the savings can be passed on to solar customers.

Curious about solar hard costs vs. soft costs near you?

At Solar.com, we’re connecting solar customers with valuable information and vetted solar companies.

We’re proud to be doing our part to make the switch to solar more understandable and affordable, particularly by eliminating the soft costs of salespeople and customer acquisition with our online marketplace.