Photo Voltaic (PV) panels are now the 3rd largest electrical generator globally in terms of using sustainable environmental principles to generate electricity. They sit behind hydro and wind, but the reason why PV is so interesting when looking at urban extensions is because they can easily be incorporated into new homes and other ancillary buildings (schools offices shops etc). By the end of 2014 177 Gigabytes were generated through PV which equates to 2% of total global electricity demand (*). The price of PV has dropped significantly in recent years and the technology that sit behind them has also improved significantly, which has made them a lot more attractive in terms of installation on new homes. However, this needs to be tempered against reductions in Feed In Tariffs, which in essence were incentives from Governments to encourage the use of them. Feed in Tariffs have proved to be very successful to date though (**).
First generation panels typically had a 14% energy efficiency rating, but this jumped to 21% for second generation, and the third generation panels will out perform this, and no doubt as technology moves on this will improve even more. So how do they work ?. A PV panel uses sunlight into solar cells within the panels to generate electricity. This is a very simple way of generating electricity from a source that is there everyday. Clearly some areas of the globe get more sunlight than others, but overall the ability to harvest sunlight is readily available, after all sunlight is free. Once installed there is no pullution or greenhouse gas emissions (***). There is currently research going in in terms of how much carbon is used to manufacture the panels and this varies widely globally, but using life cycle assessment cradle to grave methodology it is clear that overall the cradle to grave of a PV panel is highly sustainable and efficient when compared to more traditional ways of generating electricity. I believe that in the future all new homes should have an aspiration to install PV. Clearly there will be some sites or homes with constraints that do not make it feasible, but overall most new homes should easily be able to incorporate the technology. The Bicester Eco Town in the UK has an average of 33 sqm of PV on the roofs of all the new houses being built there. The advantages to the environment are clear, but the advantages to the home owner are also very clear, this will give them free electricity when the sun shines, and in the future the ability to store the electricity generated into batteries will make this even more attractive. Fuel poverty is a rising global phenomenon and PV is an important factor in stemming this. Finally, it is also very clear to property developers why this is worth investing in, as PV enhances the value of homes, and as the technology improves this enhancement will only increase (*) Tam Hunt (2015) "The Solar singularity is nigh" (**) Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st century (RENZI) Paris 2010 report (***) Joshua pearce (2002) "PV-a path to sustainable futures
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AuthorGerald Walker. BA Hons Economics and Studying for a Masters at UNSW in Property and Development Archives
June 2017
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