SOLAR ENERGY: The Early Days of the Solar Energy Industry

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America - Best For Solar Energy by Tina Metcalf

The largest user of photovoltaic cells in the world right now is Germany. That's almost difficult to believe since an American invented photovoltaics - Charles Fritts - and we took this technology to heart when NASA began using it for all of their satellites.

Solar cells were such a terrific idea that President Jimmy Carter, back in 1978, instituted what was called a 'feed in' tariff**, that essentially mandated state power companies to buy consumer generated electricity at a fixed rate, which was generally a very good deal for anyone willing to set up any energy producing sustainable system, like solar cells, that would pump electric current back into the lines.

The trouble was that, Carter left it for the states to approve these measures, and as electricity prices rose, power companies legislated states away from these types of pay outs. In fact, if you recall, there were even huge tax breaks for anyone investing in alternatives of any sort, and solar cell sales reached a high point during the late 70's.

But the feed in tariff wasn't adopted, and the conservative presidency that followed, abandoned tax breaks for alternative energy purchase, and the market began to stagnate because of that.

Enter Germany. They seized upon Carters' idea, and passed a national mandate that power companies MUST allow a feed in tariff to support alternative energy, and solar cell applications have been booming! 5% of all electricity generated is from solar cells and perhaps double that is expected by 2020. ***

Currently there are 11 states that offer some type of feed in tariff for photovoltaic cells. If you live in one of these states, check with power companies and regulations regarding photovoltaic feed in tariffs. Because if you live in a state that offers a tariff, it may be time to go solar, and put up your very own photovoltaic array.

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