About Solar Power
The first semiconductor solar cell device was developed by Bell Labs in 1954. It converted only about 6% of light to electricity, but it was the birth of a new power source which is now beginning to play a major part in our electricity networks. The solar power industry has been growing at around 30% per annum for the last 20 years, with total world production of solar modules exceeding one gigawatt for the first time in 2007.
Click here for answers to some frequently asked questions.
Click here to see some of the benefits of choosing solar power.
Solar cells are the basic building blocks of almost all solar power systems. They come in many forms, but are generally made from several layers of semiconductor material. Click here for more information about solar cells.
Solar cells are electrically and physically connected together to form solar modules, also referred to as solar panels. Click here for more information about solar modules.
Although solar was originally used for space and remote power applications and still is today, grid connected solar power is now the largest use of solar photovoltaics. Grid systems feed excess power into the grid, gaining credits from the electricity retailer. In grid connected solar power systems the electricity grid becomes the ‘battery' that stores solar power. Click here for more information on grid connect solar.
Efficient energy use , sometimes called energy efficiency, is simply using less energy to provide the same level of energy service. Click here for more information on energy efficiency.