Clean and green energy is growing and evolving quickly into 2021. Homeowners and consumers can benefit by reducing your budget, eliminating energy costs, and adding value to your home while saving the planet for future generations. Federal and Iowa solar programs make it possible to get installation at little to no cost while also reducing utility bills. Your utility company may even pay you a credit for going solar in an effort to reduce demand on the grid. With all of these emerging companies and technology you may be asking – What’s new for solar in 2021?

One very exciting change was the signing of the spending relief bill in December 2020. This bill dedicates over 35 billion dollars to the clean energy industry. This influx of support indicates that consumers will be able to count on massive improvements to solar tech this year. Homeowners can take advantage of the most affordable prices the market has to offer while also utilizing the highest quality and most efficient panels made to date. Let’s pursue emerging technologies we can expect to see in 2021.

Solar tech companies are now under pressure to create the most efficient design for solar panels the market has ever seen. One solar company has discovered that covering panels in perovskite can convert over 28% of sunlight into electricity. This thin layer of crystal-like material can increase the generation of power in the solar cells by allowing absorption of a larger portion of the solar spectrum than traditional silicon panels. There is one drawback to this discovery. They have yet to release an entire panel covered in this material. The company aims to produce and manufacture functioning panels for solar installation world wide. If this endeavor becomes successful then companies and consumers will benefit from the best and most efficient panels to date.

2020 was an incredible year for Solar despite the debilitating pandemic. The demand for solar increasing will force the solar sector to continue to grow. This means new companies will pop up nationwide. New solar companies are great news for homeowners that have an interest in solar. Here at Iowa Solar we are a one stop shop that sells and installs solar systems. We do everything for you by employing our own installation teams and training them in house. The federal tax incentive has been renewed and fixed at 26% for the next two years. Most importantly, a consistent increase in competition will cause collar systems prices to continue to drop which will make 2021 the cheapest year for solar yet!

Pricing and efficacy are not the only solar tech gaining popularity in development for the coming years. Let’s take a look at emerging designs that have been popping up. For instance, Solar Skin, which is a developing technology that will allow homeowners and businesses to customize the look of their panels. Doing away with the black panels and replacing them with aesthetically pleasing panels that will blend with their roof tiling, adding patterns, and even including an artistic take on panel designs and shapes. This is a win for all creative types who are interested in solar design. Solar Fabric is a first time development and may become part of our daily clothing. With this technology every fiber absorbing energy allows its wearer to produce electricity. This can be used for charging a phone, thermoregulation, or access to energy on the go!

Portable solar panels are nothing new to this industry but the declining cost and increase in power are becoming more affordable for residential consumers. The benefit of using portable solar is that it allows user to enjoy electricity off the grid and saves them the hassle of dealing with utility companies. Massive solar farms are also familiar but many are unaware of the solar ocean farms that are in development stages. These are exactly as they sound, floating islands, that will be able to produce massive amounts of energy. These islands are sure to play a large role in renewable energy development around the world. Solar cars are gaining popularity among companies who want to utilize the benefits of efficient and compact solar technology by incorporating panels into the roofs of their cars. Solar at night claims that researchers have discovered a new solar cell that is able to generate electricity at night! Although it can only produce a fraction of the energy that solar cell produce it raises changing capabilities within the industry.

It’s almost impossible to not consider going solar with all of the advances in solar technology in 2021! At Iowa Solar our guests are happily experiencing all of the benefits of owning solar systems. If you would like more information, have any questions, or want a quote click here to get an instant quote.