In this article, we will document the three most common types of solar cells and how this technology has proven itself for decades. We'll also give a brief history of silicon sourcing and explain why we were set for rapid growth back int the 90s and now we are again. Finally, we'll make note of new solar technologies that will change the solar industry as we know it (i.e. thin film and nano-solar). All of these factors are great news for homeowners wishing to upgrade to solar generated electricity.

The following topics will be explained in varying levels of detail; how a solar cell converts sunlight energy via the use of different types of silicon, the use of silicon and where it comes from, and a little about the history of silicon sourcing over the past 18 years.

The Future Solar Panel and Home Solar Manufacturing

As the residential solar power industry has matured and showed a steady growth of about 40 percent a year, the silicon industry is now responding with new production and caches of raw materials. At least two new refineries and silicon manufacturing plants are coming on line in Washington State and others nationwide within the next year or two. There are plans and announcements by several companies such as GE, BP, and others about launching new facilities that produce silicon at a fraction of the cost we may be experiencing today. This is all exciting news for home solar power enthusiasts and for those wishing to upgrade to residential solar generated electricity.

The silicon industry is or has been slow to increase overall manufacturing capabilities because of the large growth during the early 1990s that eventually when stale. The extreme growth expectations were hyped and many industry experts expected much expansion in the early 1990s. Unfortunately enough, the expansion of the silicon sourcing and overall solar industry did not take off 18 years ago. Fortunately, we are now experience much more accepting market, social expectations of our movement to renewable technologies, and governmental support to make the switch to home solar power.

In the past, the solar silicon refining industry made solar panel manufacturers sign long-term contracts at extremely high prices to secure any silicon at all. For example, a solar manufacturing plant had to slow production to a trickle because of a lack of silicon. The economics have now changed since 2006 making massive silicon contracts viable at better prices.

Nano-Solar and Thin Film Solar Cells: It's the Future

We are now at the dawn of a home solar energy revolution. The solar power manufacturers invented and are beginning to manufacture new solar modules that do not use silicon at all. There are alternative materials using nano-technology that are and will continue to radically change the consumption and production of solar generated electricity.

Often the newest technologies, like thin film or nano-solar cells, are somewhat experimental with limited or no actual field testing. This is not true for many of the silicon based solar panels on the market today. Homeowners, right now, have the opportunity to rent residential solar energy systems and side step the expensive system purchase by renting. Because there are now large sources of silicon, homeowners now have the choice to upgrade to solar on a large scale across many markets in the United States that were once thought too expensive to install residential solar systems.

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