One major advantage renewable energy has over nuclear power (and fossil fuels) is that it can typically be installed much faster. Nuclear power plants can require 5–15 years to complete and some have taken 20 or more. (Constructing a new coal power plant can take 4 years or more.

After Hard Year, Promise of Unparalleled Jobs Growth About 3 million Americans worked in clean energy at the end of 2020, down from 3.36 million the year before, according to the analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data and the findings of a national survey of more than 30,000 businesses across the U.S. economy.

Among all panel types, crystalline solar panels have the highest efficiency.

• Monocrystalline panels have an efficiency rating over 20%.
• PERC panels add an extra 5% efficiency thanks to their passivation layer.
• Polycrystalline panels hover somewhere between 15-17%.

The main thing to remember is that wiring in series will increase your voltage, while wiring in parallel will increase your amperage. Both of the voltage and amperage need to be considered when designing your system, especially when it comes to finding an inverter that will work best for you.

Tier 1 solar panels are panels that are manufactured by big brands who have a good reputation in the industry. As these companies have generally been around for more than a few years, you’re a lot safer investing in Tier 1 companies than Tier 2 or 3.

Researchers over at the National Renewable Energy Lab have reportedly made the first solar cell with an external quantum efficiency over 100 percent. The extra efficiency comes from quantum dots ‘harvesting’ energy that would otherwise be lost as heat.