Solar energy - energy with a future

Clean and abundant, solar energy has soared since the turn of the century and is becoming more cost-effective. The three technologies used - photovoltaics,
low-temperature and high-temperature thermal) are now available. More and more plants are being opened, capacity records are regularly broken and ever more ambitious projects are coming down the line.

A clean energy...

Solar energy is clean, releases almost no greenhouse gases and produces no waste. And every year the earth receives 8380 times the amount of energy spent annually by humankind - 11 billion tons of oil equivalent! However, solar energy on its own cannot replace fossil fuels.

While as yet underdeveloped, it offers an important opportunity to diversify the energy mix. For example, solar technologies used on a domestic scale are both efficient and tried and tested. Low-temperature thermal solar energy uses thermal panels to convert light into hot water. This technology can be used alongside photovoltaic panels that convert light into electricity which individuals can use themselves or sell on to distributors.

Moreover, there are many photovoltaic power plants already operating or under construction. In France, the Chambéry plant has been operational since 2005, the Réunion plant has been open since 2006 and the Saint-Charles plant near Perpignan opened in 2010. Switzerland, Germany and the United States also have photovoltaic power plants, and in 2008 the huge Amareleja plant was opened in southern Portugal. This plant has installed capacity of over 46 MW and can produce 93 million kW/h per year, enough to meet the energy needs of 30,000 homes.

So solar energy is being produced in all four corners of the planet. In industrialized countries, most photovoltaic power plants are hooked up to the grid, while stand-alone facilities are more common in developing countries.

Thus solar energy is starting to develop and is now reaching maturity, even if it remains much more expensive than conventional energy sources. However, to make a decisive transition in terms of improving yield, reducing costs and diversifying applications, the solar sector still needs significant human, technological and financial investment.

(Source: http://www.planete-energies.com/en/the-energy-of-tomorrow/the-future-for-current-energy-sources/renewable-energy/solar-energy-energy-with-a-future-272.html)