Planetoverhaul.com

Solar energy is the radiant light and heat from the Sun that has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation along with secondary solar resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass account for most of the available renewable energy on Earth. Only a minuscule fraction of the available solar energy is used.

BENEFITS OF SOLAR ENERGY
1. Energy – Solar energy provides electricity and hot water to more than 100,000 homes, businesses, and utilities in the United States.
2. Environment – Energy from the sun is clean. Solar energy-generation produces no greenhouse gases or other harmful air pollutants. By investing in solar energy, we can help decrease the threat of global warming and make the air in our cities safer to breathe.
3. Jobs and Economy – The manufacture, installation, and maintenance of solar energy systems already employs tens of thousands of Americans. Most of these domestic jobs cannot be outsourced. In a survey of over 300 solar companies, the average company reported increasing its payrolls by over 70% from 2007 to 2008. In the same survey, the average company reported revenue growth of over 60% over the same time period.
WORLD’S LARGEST SOLAR COMPANIES/PROJECTS

1. World’s First Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Plant
Abengoa Solar operates the world’s first Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plant in Spain. The company is also building three more CSP plants, joint capacity 120-MW, two 50-MW trough plants, and one 20-MW tower plant, all in Spain, as well as hybrid gas-solar plants in Algeria and Morocco.
2. World’s Largest Solar Plant
Abengoa Solar has signed an agreement with Arizona Public Service (APS), the largest electric company in Arizona, to build and operate what will be the largest solar power plant in the world and this will be located in Gila Bend, Arizona.

3. World’s Largest PV Power Plant

A partnership led by California-based PowerLight has constructed a 10-MW photovoltaic facility in Bavaria, Germany. Billed as the world’s largest solar PV power plant, it costs €49.5m ($59) and opened in June 2005.
4. World’s Largest PV Project
Maryland-based SunEdison, in partnership with a Nevada-based project integrator, announced construction will soon begin on an 18-MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project that would provide power to a US military base in the Nevada Desert. This would be, by far, the largest solar PV project in the world, nearly twice as large as PowerLight’s 10-MW project in Germany, which is currently the largest.

5. World’s Largest Rooftop PV Array
The world’s largest rooftop photovoltaic (PV) array was inaugurated at the Atlanta Olympics. The new Georgia Institute of Technology Aquatic Center has 2,800 solar panels.
6. World’s Largest Rooftop Solar Array
Yet another “world’s largest” in solar power: General Motors has partnered with Clairvoyant Energy, Veolia Environmental and the Government of Aragon to install what will be the world’s largest rooftop solar array on its Zaragosa, Spain assembly plant. According to GM, the array will be 12 MW in size and cover two million square feet and consist of approximately 85,000 panels.
7. World’s Largest CIGS Thin-Film Solar Array
Global Solar Energy announced Wednesday the full operation of the largest solar electric array worldwide using CIGS photovoltaic technology. The 750-kilowatt system, located at Global Solar Energy’s Tucson, Arizona manufacturing facility, features a ground-mounted solar array consisting of 6,600 thin-film solar cells generating more than 1.1 million kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity annually.