| Energy from the Sun - Solar Panels |
| Thursday, 21 August 2008 22:33 |
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Photovoltaics (PVs) convert sunlight into electricity. They are made from silicon, the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust. The cells are fitted in panels to the exterior of buildings and are clean, safe and silent in operation. Although at the moment they are an expensive method of generating electricity for the grid, they compete very successfully with conventional systems for a wide range of applications in remote locations, and are being used more and more in the developing world. For example, solar cells provide power for refrigeration and water pumping in hot desert regions, and for telecommunication equipment on mountain tops. The most important issue with solar panels is capital cost. Newer alternatives to the standard crystalline silicon modules are creating more efficient panels. Due to economies of scale, solar panels get less costly as people use and buy more. In fact, as manufacturers increase production to meet demand, the cost and price is expected to drop in the years to come. According to data obtained from the Institute of Energy Technologies (University of Malta) there is a major potential for PV panels when it comes to installing them on terraced houses in Malta. A 14m2 roof area (the size of one room) could easily accommodate a 1.2kWp PV system, assuming that the limiting factor here is the high capital costs. It has been calculated that there is a possibility of producing 165,000 MWh per year. This equates to 7.4 % of the total energy consumed in Malta during 2003. During the past few years, Government has introduced various financial support schemes aimed at increasing the number of domestic PV systems. These include a grant of 20% on the purchase price of photovoltaic installations with a minimum size of 1 kWp and less than 3.7 kWp on domestic premises. This grant is subject to a maximum of € 1166 with an additional grant of € 582 for every additional 1 kWp (±5%) above the minimum 1 kWp. In addition, other support measures for such installations include the waiving of the meter costs by Enemalta Corporation and amounting to a € 47 fee for the installation of the meter necessary for the operation of the photovoltaic technology. Relevant forms can be downloaded from the Malta Resources Authority website (http://www.mra.org.mt/grants.shtml). With regards to feed in tariffs, the net metering for electricity generated from renewable energy sources has a spill tariff of meagre € 0.07/kWh for any excess electricity fed into the grid. Unfortunately this feed in tariff rate does not offer a fair incentive to those willing to invest in clean renewable technologies. |
