Green Education: Green 101

Here Comes the Sun

It is not news to hear that there are numerous solar energy plants and companies being built right now that are competing for your business. Not only is solar energy great for the environment, but it’s extremely cost effective as well. People say nothing is free, however, that’s not true because sunshine is! It really appears that solar power is making a statement and really going to come into its own this year and in the near future. There are many programs and funds coming from the government that support this idea.

Joel Silverman, who works for Arete Research Services, has stated that, “The big swing factor isn’t going to be the direct subsidies to the industry as much as growth rates of installations.” Apparently, Germany has installed far more than anticipated by anyone, which may in turn lead to a vast over supply within the country. This is just one example that does not look so promising. However, it shouldn’t overshadow the fact that there are many corporations that have proven they can do well. The company First Solar has forecasted its earnings to a whopping $3.9 billion. They have also agreed upon the selling of a 290 megawatt solar energy farm to the company NRG Energy Inc. to start build up in Arizona.

In the year 2010 there was an estimated 900 megawatts of solar energy power installed and that number was expected to double in 2011. This is a huge jump in just one year’s time. There is data that has been collected from the Solar Electric Power Association that has stated that 13 out of 25 of the top solar photovoltaic projects were in fact completed in 2010. The largest plant that is currently up and running as we speak is included in this number and is located in Colorado, the Copper Mountain Solar Facility. In the year 2009 only 4 of those projected solar photovoltaic projects had been completed.

The only 200 megawatt plant planned for completion this year is located in California and is going to sell power to Pacific Gas & Electric. More projects similar to this sort are projected to commence during the beginning of year 2012. The largest foreseeable obstacle at this point is cost. The California Valley Solar Ranch project will cost about $1 billion in total. This price range is expected to drop about 25% throughout the year and the cost of nuclear power is expected to rise.

Solar energy is a smart and cost effective option for everyone. With the building of these plants within the United States, people are given the option to heat and power up their homes using the sun. The sun has been here for millions of years and is not going to fail us. Solar plants are expected to keep growing in the years to come.

It’s a great idea to compare gas & electricity prices and to look for affordable green energy suppliers. Changing your utility provider helps to reduce your bills and gives much needed financial support to the green gas and electric suppliers of the world.

Rick Kirk is an environmental enthusiast and enjoys discussing issues that impact the overall well-being of our planet. We only get one, so we should take of it.

Source: TheEnvironmentalBlog