A federal government study concluded that by 2015 the cost of generating power from rooftop solar panels will be the same as the cost of power from the electrical grid. The study also found that the cost could even become lower than the cost of power from the grid by 2030.
The National Roofing Contractors Association and the Center for Environmental Innovation in Roofing have launched Roof Integrated Solar Energy Inc, as an entity created to evaluate and certify solar roofing professionals to support the use of rooftop solar energy. The program, known as RISE, certifies that solar energy installers are knowledgeable about critical roof construction and maintenance practices necessary to support the successful rooftop solar energy installations without adversely affecting roof system performance and service life.
Candidates will be asked to demonstrate their basic knowledge about different PV system types and key components, benefits and risks applicable to building owners, PV systems’ integration with electricity, installation guidelines, building codes and post-installation considerations. Individuals who successfully complete the RISE requirements will receive a RISE Certified Solar Roofing Professional certification.
Physicists at Rutgers University have discovered new properties in a material that could result in efficient and inexpensive plastic solar cells. The discovery reveals that energy-carrying particles generated by packets of light can travel in organic semiconductors on the order of a thousand times farther than scientists previously observed. Once the diffusion distance becomes comparable to the light absorption length, most of the sunlight can be collected and converted into energy. This boosts hopes that solar cells based on this technology may one day overtake silicon solar cells in cost and performance. Continuing development could result in more efficient and manufacturable materials of this kind.