PV Gap

Edward Said:

How much energy does it take to make, install, and eventually dispose of a solar panel?

We Answered:

At present the technology to create silicon solar cells is incredibly energy intensive. It is not logical to compare the cost of oil to the cost of a solar cell because they are not priced according to energy input. Oil has a strong advantage in that it is concentrated solar and geothermal chemical energy that has accumulated over millions of years. The price of oil does not reflect its energy content, but the cost to retreive it. Electrical energy used to produce a Photovoltaic cell is not priced in any proportion to oil.

By some calculations it will take about 50,000 KWh of energy produced by the PV cell before it can recover the energy used to manufacture it. This is about 20 years for a typical solar panel. There is still controversy about this, but to some extent it is reflected in the high cost of photovoltaics, which for the average house will cost about $20,000 to $30,000 dollars just to install. Here is a collection of studies that have been done on just this topic, which range in energy payback time from 2.4 to 25.5 years!!!
http://www.energybulletin.net/17219.html

Keep in mind that these studies are assuming ideal conditions for the installation. Cloudy weather, snow, and latitudinal variations in length of daylight will reduce the actual results.

This is one reason there is continuing work being done on things like thin PV, which use less silicon and thus much less energy to manufacture.

Ida Said:

how do you add a solar panel to your energy supply?

We Answered:

Contact a provider of solar panel installation in your area. They can answer all your questions. Get price quotes. Some may be cheaper than others.

Francisco Said:

Does Solar Energy Panel on our steel roofs really helps in cutting down our energy expenses?

We Answered:

Not really.

Your monthly costs will go down but it requires a large upfront investment.
The overall costs to produce energy via solar panels are slightly greater.

There are other benefits though.

Ramon Said:

I am looking for a battery that will last for more than 8 years to store energy from my solar panel.?

We Answered:

Look up Electroveya. They build batteries for laptops and are currently working on building an electric car. They might be able to help you.

Shares in the company are cheap, and will very likely make you a bit of cash in the future. Check out EFL on the TSX. Buy and hold.