Photovoltaic cells convert sunlight directly into electricity and are made of semiconductors such as crystalline silicon or various thin-film materials. Photovoltaics can provide tiny amounts of power for watches, large amounts for the electric grid , and everything in between.
A typical 2kW residential rooftop solar system produces up to 3,600 kW hours per year. This solar system therefore avoids the need to burn 3.7 tons of coal to produce the same amount of electricity, and thus prevents 10,000 lbs. of green house gases from entering the atmosphere.
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Solar Power ArticlesMillion Solar Roofs Initiative |
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"American rooftops can be the Persian Gulf of solar energy. After Australia, no developed nation on Earth gets more annual sunlight than the United States. In addition, wind is now the fastest-growing energy source worldwide and one of the cheapest. But wind and solar power generate less than 2% of U.S. power. We can do better." -- Robert Redford, 2002
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