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| Solar-powered office building, Doxford International Business Park, near Sunderland, United Kingdom. |
The 3500sqm solar office building at the Doxford International Business Park near Sunderland, UK incorporates 646sqm of photovoltaic modules. These have a peak power output of 73kW and generate some 55,000kWh of electricity per year. The building is well insulated and uses passive solar design to maximise the use of natural daylight and to minimise space heating and air conditioning needs. it is also designed for natural ventilation and night-time cooling.
Photovoltaics may well make a significant contribution to world needs in coming decades, but at present its share of world consumption is small. This is mainly due to the very high cost of PV modules, which are currently produced in relatively small quantities. Studies have shown that if the annual output of the manufacturing plants that produce PV modules were increased by a factor of about 20, the cost of PV-generated electricity could be reduced to a point at which it would be competitive with electricity from conventional sources in many industrialised countries.