3. Another limitation of solar panels is their cost. Currently, a solar PV system that can generate 15,000 kWh per year costs about $20,000 after tax credits. It is projected that US electricity production from solar PV will increase by 30 billion kWh/year over the next 10 years. Calculate the cost of installing the PV systems needed every year to meet this increase in electricity production. Billions of dollars
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Today, the best commercially available solar panels are about $18 \%$ efficient at converting the energy from sunlight into electricity. A typical home in the United States uses about $40 \mathrm{~kW} \cdot \mathrm{h}$ of electricity a day, and U.S. electricity costs currently average about $\$ 0.10$ per kW-h. (a) Assuming $8.0$ hours of useful sunlight per day with an incident solar energy of $0.5 \mathrm{~kW} \cdot \mathrm{m}^{-2}$, calculate the minimum panel area needed to provide for a typical home's electrical needs. Will a solar panel of this size fit on the roof of a typical single-family home? (b) If it costs $\$ 15000$ to install a solar panel of this size, how long will it take to pay for itself? Assume U.S. energy prices remain constant over this time.
More and more businesses and homeowners are installing solar panels on their roofs to draw energy from the Sun's rays. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the solar cell kilowatt-hour use in the United States (in millions) is projected to be S(t) = 0.73t^2 + 15.8t + 2.7 (0 ≤ t ≤ 8) in year t, with t = 0 corresponding to 2000. What was the projected solar cell kilowatt-hours used in the United States for 2006? For 2008? S(2006) = million kw-hr S(2008) = million kw-hr
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The formula below can be used to estimate the energy output of a photovoltaic system. E = A * r * H * PR E = Energy (kWh) A = Total solar panel Area (m") r = solar panel yield or efficiency = 15% H = Annual average solar radiation on tilted panels in kWh/m" per year PR = Performance ratio, coefficient for losses = 0.75 a) In California, we receive an average of 750 W/m" for 8 hours a day. How many kWh/m" per year is this? (2) kWh/m" per year = b) If you want to generate the average energy usage of a 2-person household in California of 4000 kWh per year, what area of solar panels do you need? (2) Area = c) The average solar panel is 1 m by 1.65 m. How many solar panels would we need to guarantee this energy supply? (2) Number of solar panels =
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