Off the grid solar is becoming a more viable option for many people and applications, even in the developed world. From cabin homes to street lights, there have been a significant rise of disconnected solar utilities being installed almost everywhere you look. Even in crowded cities such as New York, “off-the grid” has established a new type of grid in many ways.
First off, let’s talk about the remote. Solar energy was highly popularized by the granola, grungy, and off the grid during the 1970s when it was used to bring light and power to communes in California. Although this received some large media attention, the limitations from efficiency stymied the applications with which solar energy could affectively power off the grid living.
However, recently solar energy has grown remarkably in its ability to generate electricity at the ‘micro’ scale. This means that individuals, and single family establishments can now generate enough electricity (and with a reasonable cost) to power their homes at an affordable price.
Take a look at this article, recently published by Renewable Energy World: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/blog/post/2012/09/off-grid-solar-cabin.
Although there is nothing groundbreaking, it goes to show that solar is becoming a tool not only for the reckless and the anti-society folk. Rather, solar is an accessible and socially responsible alternative to conventional grid tied living.
Similarly, we now see solar powering many items within our infrastructure. There are more solar-powered street lights than I ever would have imagined being operated throughout the country. Solar powered signs and solar powered monitoring equipment make necessary infrastructure pieces mobile. Therefore, they can be used in multiple different places throughout their lifespan (effectively adding to the sustainability). For repeat-construction work (such as highway work, etc) this can be a significant advantage from both a cost, materials, and energy perspective.
What is attributed to the rise of such effective off-grid solar? Well, the first is the increase in solar generation efficiency. That factor alone has made the amount of energy generated useful, with the limited space constraints often imposed in solar projects.
The second factor is the decrease in the price of a solar cell. Although the decrease in solar chips is nowhere near as promising as the gains seen in, say, processing chips, we are seeing some drastic decrease in pricing, perhaps spurned by a globalized solar market.
Finally, there have been massive advantages afforded by more effective batteries, and energy storage systems. Battery monitoring and regulating devices have opened up the door for more efficient and effective solar projects. This in turn has created more opportunities and incentives to further the regulation technology, as systems crop up around the globe.
With so many off-grid solar applications arising, perhaps we are seeing a move into the opposite of a ‘cloud’ system. Where as all of the energy used to be centralize, we now see more individualistic, and patchwork networks arising. Perhaps we are not to far from seeing peer-to-peer energy sharing technologies, where two generators with complimentary systems (say solar and wind) could exchange energy freely, off the grid.
Maybe just as we are moving to a patchwork wifi network, so too will we see the rise of a patchwork energy grid.
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