Abstract
Solar photovoltaic (PV) power is a modern renewable energy technology consisting of solar PV cells, modules (panels), and arrays (systems, installations). This modular technology is used to generate electric power by converting sunlight (solar energy) into electricity.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
A prosumer is defined as a consumer of power who is also producer of both the power for self-consumption and the excess power for sales to the grid to earn FITs, usually through a rooftop solar PV system.
- 2.
Production tax credit is referred to tax rebate on the solar power generator’s tax liabilities at certain percent of the solar PV production cost. Investment tax credit is referred to tax rebate on the solar power investor’s tax liabilities at certain percent of the solar PV system investment cost.
- 3.
A phenomenon where existing incumbent technologies dominate the market and create barriers for the adoption or development of potentially innovative alternatives or breakthroughs.
- 4.
Refers to the division or separation of a market into distinct segments based on certain characteristics or criteria.
- 5.
Hardware costs include the costs of all the materials needed to construct the system: solar modules, inverter, racking, and electrical wiring. Solar modules or panels are expensive because they are made of large amounts of high-purity silicon, which requires a large amount of power.
- 6.
Soft costs include the cost of installation labor, the cost of all relevant permits, and all overhead costs including the marketing, sales and administrative costs associated with the system.
- 7.
Nitrogen trifluoride finds increasing use in manufacturing PVs. However, it is an inorganic, colorless, nonflammable, and toxic gas with a slightly musty odor. It is also an extremely strong and long-lived greenhouse gas.
- 8.
Although the major use of cadmium in rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries has been gradually reduced because of its toxicity, it has found its new use in cadmium telluride solar panels because of its capability of absorbing more sunlight than the existing silicon.
- 9.
Fixed cost, also called capital cost, is the cost of investment in the production equipment, here the power generation system.
- 10.
Marginal cost is the change in total production cost that comes from making or producing one additional unit, which is generating one additional watt of power.
- 11.
External cost is the theoretical cost that fossil fuel and nuclear power generation and consumption incur to the environment and society, but the power generator and consumer do not pay. Such costs include, for example, environmental cleaning costs and medical costs of respiratory diseases and deaths.
- 12.
For more information on comparing the future costs of solar PV systems and with those of other power generation technologies, see Appendix C.
- 13.
Solar factor is the ratio of a city’s roof-top areas used for solar power generation and its new buildings’ total roof-top areas.
- 14.
Tandem cells refer to stacks of p-n junctions, each of which is formed from a semiconductor of different bandgap energy.
- 15.
For more information on research solar cells’ efficiencies, see Appendix A.
- 16.
Ultra high voltage (UHV) transmission is associated with ≥  ± 800 kV ultrahigh-voltage direct current (UHVDC) grids and ≥ 1000 kV ultrahigh-voltage alternating current (UHVAC) grids, which are needed for transmitting large amount of power over a long distance without significant power loss.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Yang, P. (2024). Solar Power. In: Renewable Energy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-49125-2_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-49125-2_1
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-49124-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-49125-2
eBook Packages: EnergyEnergy (R0)