Description: Solar Cell Central is an independent informational site covering solar power and related subjects including solar basics, the sun and heliosphere, solar cost, solar markets, a smart grid, grid storage, energy profiles, and leading solar companies for those interested in learning about solar energy. Scientific language is kept to a minimum.
This section presents an overview of solar energy basics in laymen's language without any technical detail. Please click on the title of this paragraph or the "Solar Basics" link at the top of this page. Topics covered are facts about the sun, the basics of how solar cells work, solar panels on the grid, solar utility systems, and the distribution of solar radiation across the US.
The in depth discussion about solar power includes the sun's radiation and energy distributions, how solar cells work, silicon solar cells, thin film solar cells, sun tracker panels, central versus micro inverters, some current academic research and space based solar power (SBSP). We have tried to make this material very understandable for a person with no technical background.
The prices for solar electricity have been coming down for over 30 years. Since costs after installation are minimal for solar electricity, the relevant costs are for purchase and system installation. This decline is being driven by a) increasing efficiency of solar cells b) manufacturing technology improvements, c) economies of scale and d) intense competition.
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