Photovoltaic Power is Coming Soon
August 10th, 2010 | 
Author: The solar electrical power industry may be ready for its moment in the sun.
It’s still true that solar sources generate less than 1% of total U.S. electricity vs. the 70% generated from industrial-age fuels such as coal, petroleum and natural gas.
But energy price spikes in 2001, 2005 and 2008 spurred states and the federal government to explore alternatives to fossil fuels. Solar stocks soared alongside rising oil prices in 2008.
Solar panels at a power station in the northwest China city of Shizuishan. The country is pushing solar power projects, making up for Europe. AP View Enlarged Image
But solar has a fickle history of rising, then disappearing from view — often for what seems decades. This time is different, some industry watchers contend.
“In the 1970s and 1980s, there was a technology issue,” said Mike Taylor, director of research with the Solar Energy Power Association. “(Photovoltaic) solar wasn’t ready for prime time commercialization.”
Government-led energy initiatives in Japan through the 1990s fostered development of solar technologies and manufacturing. Spain and Germany picked up the baton, installing large-scale solar facilities over the past several years.
Now the industry appears set for another leap. The bulk of that is occurring in China, a country moving aggressively onto the solar-energy stage.
The U.S. also is creeping forward, as federal and state incentives lure utilities and larger commercial entities onto the scene.
Posted in Alternative Energy, Go Green, Renewable Energy, Solar Power | 
Tags: Alternative Energy, Solar Power