Because of its prohibitive cost and the number of modules needed to generate needed power, manufacturers have been slow to adopt solar technology on a wide scale. Especially as a means of electricity generation, photovoltaic (PV) cells have not been a
Because of its prohibitive cost and the number of modules needed to generate needed power, manufacturers have been slow to adopt solar technology on a wide scale. Especially as a means of electricity generation, photovoltaic (PV) cells have not been a practical alternative. Although some companies have incorporated such heating aids as solar wall panels into their buildings, large-scale applications in manufacturing facilities have been about as rare as a solar eclipse. Despite the solar industry's cloudy past, recent advances in technology, government incentives, people-driven initiatives, and the deregulation of the U.S. electricity industry are beginning to make solar power a practical alternative. Industry already is using PV cells -- semiconductors that convert light into electricity -- in applications ranging from backup power systems to lighting. They also are used to power telecommunications and security systems. Other types of solar systems are being used to heat air and water in manufacturing facilities. According to Harvey Forest, president and CEO of Amoco/Enron Solar, a joint venture between Chicago-based Amoco Inc. and diversified energy group Enron Corp., Houston, industry in the U.S. alone loses $26 billion each year because of a lack of premium power during shutdowns. Solar panels, Forest says, can be used instead of diesel engines or grid-supplied sources to charge batteries for backup systems. Forest, who also is president of the Washington-based Solar Energy Industries Assn. (SEIA), adds that his company's solar products are used to power systems that monitor the flow of oil and gas in remote locations. An example of how the sun is being used to heat a factory can be found at the Ford Motor Co.'s Buffalo Stamping Plant in Buffalo. At that facility, exterior solar ventilation walls are used to preheat air for use inside the plant. Intake fans draw the air behind the black walls of the plant. The air is then heated by the sun and drawn inside. The black walls also provide an extra layer of insulation. The Solarwall system, manufactured by Buffalo-based Conserval Systems Inc., completely covers the two walls that have a southern exposure and totals more than 50,000 sq ft. Dick Grainger, a national sales manager with Conserval, says more than a mile of flexible ducting distributes the heated air throughout the facility. Ford says the system has resulted in energy savings of almost $200,000 a year. Similar systems are in place at seven other Ford facilities and two General Motors Corp. plants. Conserval President John Hollick says interest in the solar-wall concept is growing. "We spend a lot of time just educating people," notes Hollick. Conserval recently completed a 100,000-sq-ft installation in Montreal and also has installations underway in India and Japan. Buyers of such a system in the U.S. can get a 10% federal tax credit, says Hollick. Eastlake, Ohio-based Gould Electronics Inc.'s Foil Div. in Chandler, Ariz., uses a solar-thermal-energy system to produce hot water for industrial use. In operation for more than 15 years, the parabolic-trough system provides hot water for Gould's copper-foil manufacturing operations. The solar-thermal system saves the company $80,000 to $90,000 in annual energy costs. Oil flowing through individual solar collectors in the system is heated to up to 460 F by the sun. It then flows to two 30,000-gallon oil storage tanks where the heat is transferred to water that will be used in the plant. Dave Simmons, engineering manager, says that although the system's technology is dated, it provides an average of 40% of the plant's thermal water-heating requirements. The most recent technology for heating water on a large scale involves the use of a large field of nearly flat mirrors. The mirrors concentrate sunlight onto a thermal receiver on top of a centrally mounted tower. One such system, operated by the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE), uses molten salt to store the sun's heat. Located near Barstow, Calif., it can produce 10 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 10,000 homes. Because of a growth spurt in the solar industry, industrial applications for solar systems are beginning to make more sense. With an annual growth rate estimated at about 20%, the industry is mushrooming, especially outside of the U.S. where 75% of the market for solar products exists. Last year, says Scott Sklar, executive director of SEIA, the global industry generated $1.4 billion in sales, of which $1.2 billion was from PV cells. In terms of megawatts produced, production has increased from 24 in 1985 to 120 last year. The industry's growth has been driven, in part, by the massive demand for electricity in developing nations. In countries where there is little access to grid-connected systems, solar power provides a logical alternative. "Demand is increasing supply primarily to the Third World markets," Sklar says. "Global democratization and privatization are also boosting the industry." With two billion people in the world still without electricity, the potential for solar's growth is immense. The decreasing cost of producing solar power also is making it a favorable choice for off-grid applications. Thanks to automation and other advancements in technology, the cost of solar power has plummeted from $22 a peak watt in 1980 to as low as $4 a peak watt today. "Cost has always been one of the biggest barriers to switching to solar," says Kenneth Blower, New York-based director of health, safety, and environment for BP America Inc. U.S. 