Research Blog 1 - Group 8

Submitted by apersohn on Fri, 04/17/2009 - 20:52

Topic: Photovoltaic (PV) Technology

Source: DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewably Energy, Energy Information Administration

I started my research on finding more about what solar energy is and how it works, specifically photovoltaic technology. It is important to know how a technology works before presenting the information. You wouldn’t go to a car salesman that has a bad reputation of not knowing his products, so why would someone listen to me about incorporating more solar energy in our country without me having all the facts of how the technology works? I used the Solar Energy Technologies Program website from the Department of Energy to become more familiar of the technology. There are many links that told me about PV physics, PV devices, and PV systems. There was also a link for new PV technologies of the future.

The important finding on this website was the section about why PV is important. There is an economic, energy assurance, environmental, and an individual person importance. Economically, the rise of PV sales results in more jobs. By 2020, there will be approximately 50,000 jobs directly influenced by PV cells, while another 100,000 jobs will be influenced by the industry. While PV technology directly impacts our jobs, it also affects our environment. Because PV uses no fuel and has no moving parts, it has virtually no environmental impact, which goes a long way to creating a better world for our future. Statistics about PV can be found at
Energy Information Administration.