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Subscriber Exclusive Content. After hydro and wind, solar energy is the third most important source of renewable energy. There are multiple methods to use the energy that is provided by the sun: photovoltaics, solar heating and cooling, passive solar panels, and focusing solar energy. Although solar energy can be produced worldwide, some regions will produce more solar due for various reasons.
A better way to put it would be to say that there are regions on the planet that solar energy is better suited for because they have higher solar production numbers. As you can see from the map, solar production numbers are higher the closer we get to the equator. This is because these regions have more sunlight per hour, and for the most part, always have sunlight. Although many countries may have high capacities of installed solar power, this does not mean that they have high amounts of solar radiation.
Government and state incentives play a major role in making solar affordable across the globe. Newly connected PV systems worth 7.
While Germany may not have huge amounts of solar, they do have a great subsidizing framework, allowing solar power to compete on the market. With well-developed PV systems, excess electricity is sent to the grid for profit. For example, Italy added more than 3. Spain has made tremendous strides and has become the world leader in solar thermal power; in , having 1 GW. While the U. At the forefront of this development is the California Solar Initiative. As of June , California has close to 1.
California is still in the lead, with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico not far behind. Thanks to smart financial programs, we have begun to see significant growth in residential areas. Solar leasing and third-party ownerships with purchase agreements have allowed homeowners to utilize solar panels and energy without suffering a high upfront cost.
There are many uses for solar energy, with more technologies that can utilize this renewable energy source being developed all the time. The list of uses for solar can go on and on, from powering renewable transportation or charging wireless devices. Here is a list of how solar energy is used. Solar-powered products that are coming to the market are increasingly complex; this includes solar power plants and local distributed generation.
Photovoltaics can provide tiny amounts of power for watches, large amounts for the electric grid, and everything in between. The Moura photovoltaic power station in Portugal and the Waldpolenz Solar Park in Germany, both completed phase 1 in , represent the trend toward larger photovoltaic power stations.
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