One (1) kilowatt hour of electric power from photovoltaics can cost over 20 cents per kwh. Solar thermal hot-water systems are already competitive.

Direct use of solar energy means that electricity or heat is generated directly from the sun. To generate energy directly from the sun, there are different methods.

Photovoltaics converts solar energy directly into electric power.

Energy Ventures Organization has figured out how you can get solar for your home right now!

 There’s no up-front investment. Pay the same monthly payment you would pay for electricity from your utility. Guarantee that your electricity rate won't increase for up to 25 years and you will still have the utility as a backup!
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Solar Thermal installations use the sun to produce heat which is either used directly as heat or in solar thermal power stations steam is generated to produce electric power.

Passive Solar energy is another solar technology. Whenever a building or the facade of a building is constructed in such a way that it collects energy then this is called solar architecture. In principle it is possible to supply a house with energy entirely by the sun. Energy from fossil fuels is unnecessary. Such "zero-energy-houses" that Energy Ventures Organization is interested in are considered state of the art home technology. Todays construction costs are only slightly higher than those of conventional houses.

Solar Cell	Photovoltaic Power Plant	Thermal Solar Power Plant	Solar Energy House

An area less than the size of Las Vegas, has enough solar radiation to supply the entire energy needs of the United States. Reliance on imports of fossil fuels will be eliminated, and so will the cost of wars associated with it. The health benefits and preservation of our planet is of primary importance. Pollution of our atmosphere from the continual burning of fossil fuels have costs which are overlooked and have not measured. These include health costs of respiratory related diseases caused by polluted air, and eventual costs of crop failures due to global warming.

Advanced Dish Development System (ADDS)

Remote power applications provide an opportunity for high-value distributed power (30¢/kWh and higher for some remote applications) and early opportunities for commercial deployment. Key market criteria for concentrating solar power entry into remote power applications such as water pumping and village electrification are reliable unattended operation, minimal and low technology service requirements, and the ability to compete with the cost of alternatives. The Advanced Dish Development System (ADDS) is a test bed for advanced components and systems level testing to address the issues of the remote power market. ADDS projects involve integration and testing, at a system level, of advanced dish/Stirling systems.

Systems Integration and Testing

In 1999, ten months following the project go-ahead, the first-generation, grid-connected (Mod 1) system was fielded at the National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF) and unattended operation initiated. In 2000, an upgraded, second-generation (Mod 2) system design, which includes stand-alone water-pumping capability, was developed and in July 2001 we initiated operational testing of the Mod 2 system. In the Mod 2 stand-alone system, a synchronous generator is used. In this approach, the generator output varies both in voltage and frequency and directly drives a conventional 3-phase 480-volt induction motor. Because water pumping is a common remote-power need, the Mod 2 design drives a submersible water pump. A standard automotive starter is used to start the Mod 2 version of the PCU.

Testing includes long-term unattended, automatic operation of stand-alone 10-kW dish-Stirling solar power generation systems in both on-and off-grid modes at the NSTTF in Albuquerque, NM. As a result of this testing the system characteristics and specifications have continued to improve and the system has exceeded all of the original objectives for power and efficiency. Recent test results show the systems ability to operate continuously, including weekends and holidays, without operator intervention, with good availability. The data also clearly show improvement in power, efficiency, and reliability.

Applications

Although there is significant potential for grid-connected systems, the primary applications for this kind of system are remote: hydrogen generation plants, water pumping, home electrification, etc. While many applications are in developing countries there is a growing market in the United States, following a survey of Native American tribes in the southwest United States, Energy Ventures Organization identified home use and remote water pumping as one interesting domestic opportunity. In 2002, we identified partnerships with four companies (two each, in Arizona and Nevada) to develop a better understanding of their potential applications, and the technical and cultural needs associated with those applications. The partnerships include marketing, training and installation for American operators and maintenance personnel and in 2008 we will select two projects for initial funding. Pending sufficient negotiations, we anticipate fielding systems in 2010 and testing continuing over a multiyear period, with improvements being implemented as they are identified and developed.

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