Solar PV Education 101

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Key Solar Energy Terms: Irradiance, Insolation, TSRF and More

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If you work in the solar industry, you know that the amount of solar energy available at a proposed project site is one of the most fundamental factors for determining whether installing solar makes sense for a customer. Obviously, the amount of solar energy—also referred to as irradiance or insolation—where the array will be sited will determine how much energy it can potentially produce. By-Ranveer Yadav There are a number of different metrics for expressing the amount of solar energy at a given location, however. Whether you’re new to the industry or are just looking for a refresher on some of the key terms and metrics for expressing how much sunlight will reach your solar array, today’s article has you covered.   Irradiance maps, like this one above, which visually communicate how much solar energy is available at each point on a roof. (Brighter colors indicate greater irradiance.) 1. Irradiance and Insolation Irradiance and insolation are perhaps two of t...
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Article 1: The Beginner's Guide to Solar Energy

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Solar Industry Growth and Affordability Solar is playing an increasingly important role in the transition to a world powered by renewable energy. Over the past decade, the number of solar installations has grown at an accelerating rate and with increasing affordability. Figure 1 illustrates the correlation of the increasing number of installations with the decreasing costs. It shows that the price of a solar installation is now less than a third of what it was in 2009, while annual installations have grown more than tenfold during the same period of time. Figure 1. SEIA states that the solar industry is a powerful engine for economic growth. The solar industry currently employs over 200,000 people, twice as many as in 2010 and now employs more people than the coal, or the oil and gas industries. As installed capacity continues to increase, SEIA predicts that the solar workforce will expand to 420,000 by 2020. Figure 2. The solar industry now employs more workers than co...
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