Over the last several years we’ve heard a lot about solar energy; it’s renewable, good for the environment, and who doesn’t like sunshine? We’ve also heard about how solar is helping grow our economy. But, what exactly does that mean?Well, let’s break it down and take a look at how the solar industry translates into jobs and the growth of our economy. Here are some great facts from some reliable sources about the solar energy industry in the United States. The U.S. employed 142,698 solar workers in 2013; that was a 19.9 percent increase over 2012, according to the Solar Foundation’s Solar Job Census 2013 report which was released in February 2014. California led the nation in solar jobs last year employing 47,223 people. The median pay for a solar photovoltaic installer is $18.22 an hour, according to the U.S. […]

Today, solar power is a hot topic. We’re installing solar panels on our homes, businesses, and even making solar cars and other products powered by the sun. But what’s interesting about the use of solar power is that it’s not a recent innovation. In fact, solar history spans from the 7th Century B.C. to today!So what did our ancestors use solar power for and where are we today? Here’s a great timeline and information on the milestones of solar power provided by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.In the 7th Century B.C., humans used magnifying glass to make fire and kill ants. In the 3rd and 2nd Centuries B.C. Greeks and Romans used mirrors to light torches for religious purposes.By the 1st to 4th Centuries A.D., solar power was used to warm Roman bath […]

Solar power is the most abundant natural energy on earth. But how do we capture sunlight and convert it into usable electricity? To understand how this all works, we have to start from the beginning.The sun strikes the Earth with 173,000 terawatts of solar energy continuously; this is 10,000 times the world’s total energy consumption! Using solar panels, sunlight is captured and converted into electricity.Sounds simple right? Well, it’s actually quite a scientific process! A solar cell, or a photovoltaic (PV) cell, is small and square-shaped. A PV cell is made of semiconductors which are special materials like silicon. When light hits the PV cell, it is absorbed within the cell’s semiconductor material, knocking electrons loose. The flow of these electrons is known as a current.Sunlight is captured in the form of photons which gets converted into electrons of direct […]