Improving Solar Power With Surge Protection Devices
Improving solar production methods could be the difference that makes way for a more widespread adoption of solar power as the primary source vs. fossil fuel power. While many countries globally have already made large scale investments into solar power in order to reduce the amount of emissions that are produced by the generation of electricity which is consumed by their populations, the United States has not. There have been advancements towards more utilization of solar power as a production method, but widespread adoption and potential replacement of fossil fuel plants is still a long way in the future. While adoption could be sped up through technological advancements that would solve several critical issues, government investment into these technologies has been slow to progress. Naturally, a lot of this has to do with the lobbying power of the major energy fossil fuel producers, in order to stagnate any kind of competitive disruptor, but the issues that hinder a wider acceptance by the general population are still being worked out. One of the main issues is the ability of solar power generators to produce enough electricity to satisfy the needs of major metropolitan area. Because sun is only available for so many hours of the day, production of power utilizing the sun as a fuel source can only happen during those timeframes. Advances to the technology utilized in the process can keep the systems online for longer periods of time each day, and therefore producing more power to be stored in improved storage (battery) systems. There is also a cost issue with regard to solar power production, meaning that even though the fuel source itself has no cost associated, the entirety of the process often has more costs associated with it than fossil fuel production. One of the factors that can cause more expenses is that solar panels are susceptible to lightning strikes, and lightning strikes produce power surges.
Through the minimization of damage to the equipment used in the process, the overall costs associated with power production can be brought down. Because solar panels are often struck by lightning, the creation of cheaper solar panels can drive down replacement costs. Other methods of reducing costs involve the integration of more technologically advanced surge protection devices throughout the system. Lightning strikes produce power surges that travel along connected cables, from the strike point to the equipment that controls the process. This equipment is easily damaged by power surges, which means that only through the integration of surge protection devices, which can reduce or potentially eliminate all together a power surge, can the equipment life span be extended. Avoiding the damage to the equipment keeps the power producing systems online for longer periods each day, while also reducing the amount of costs associated with repair and replacement of the equipment itself. These advancements have the potential to drive the cost of solar power down below that of fossil fuel power, and this could make all the difference in more widespread adoption. If solar power is not only cleaner but also cheaper, we can expect the public to support its integration.