Green energy products are not yet for sale in the quantities which the pioneers had hoped for, but there are still enough possibilities for individuals and businesses to make a contribution to the energy of the future. There are solar and wind projects which can be implemented on an individual scale, and some of these are eligible for subsidy from governmental agencies. There are also large scale projects which can be implemented by communities, and these need products which are produced by large industrial producers of energy related products.
The most famous product created by the green energy industry is the solar panel, and these can be produced on any scale. There are individual solar panels which fit on the roof of a house, giving the householder some degree of self sufficiency in electricity generation, and there are also huge panels which can be constructed in series to create as large a generation farm as space will permit. Solar panels are still beset with efficiency problems, which is why they have not made a bigger impact on mainstream society. This may be about to change, as there have been dramatic improvements from recent developments.
The other green energy product which is now well known to the average consumer is the wind turbine. Virtually everyone will now have seen these in action in the media, even if they haven’t yet been able to see them in real life. They remain a controversial way to generate electricity, as they are unsightly and can disfigure a landscape for miles around. Many people are in opposition to onshore wind farms, but these are a necessary growth phase which we need to go through. It is only be using onshore wind that we can develop the technology for offshore wind, and there is always the possibility of phasing out the onshore wind farms when the turbines need replacing.
There are also specialist green energy products which can be used in individual situations. These include the turbines which are driven by water, which are a practical way of generating electricity in certain circumstances. Where there is a strong water current and enough capacity to maintain a turning force, this can be used to generate electricity. This type of product cannot be mass produced, but needs to be designed with the specific location in mind. There will need to be a significant capital outlay, but this will be recouped over time with lower energy charges.
The most important products for the average householder are those solar panels which are designed to fit on the roof of a domestic property. There are thousands of people considering borrowing money to have these panels installed, in the hope that they can pay the loans back with savings from electricity bills. This is perfectly feasible, although without government subsidy it is unlikely that there will be any financial gain. The Achilles heel of solar photovoltaic panels, their inefficiency, needs to be overcome before there will be any wholesale move towards domestic solar power.
The range of green energy products available to the private home owner is likely to grow as time goes by and technology improves. The most significant development may just have happened, as it has been reported that an American company has just designed a solar panel which is twice as efficient as any yet seen on the market. If this can be produced at a reasonable expense, it could change the game completely for those seeking to apply green energy technology in their own home. In any case, it represents a quantum leap for green energy products.