What exactly is solar energy ?
Solar energy is radiant energy which is produced by the sun. Each day the sun radiates, or sends out, a huge quantity of energy. The sun radiates more energy in a second than people have used since the beginning of time!
The energy of the Sun comes from within the sun itself. Like other stars, the sun is known as a big ball of gases––mostly hydrogen and helium atoms.
The hydrogen atoms in the sun’s core combine to create helium and generate energy in a process called nuclear fusion.
During nuclear fusion, the sun’s extremely high pressure and temperature cause hydrogen atoms to come apart and their nuclei (the central cores of the atoms) to fuse or combine. Four hydrogen nuclei fuse to become one helium atom. However the helium atom contains less mass compared to four hydrogen atoms that fused. Some matter is lost during nuclear fusion. The lost matter is emitted into space as radiant energy.
It takes countless years for the energy in the sun’s core to make its way to the solar surface, and then just a little over eight minutes to travel the 93 million miles to earth. The solar energy travels to the earth at a speed of 186,000 miles per second, the speed of sunshine.
Only a small percentage of the energy radiated by the sun into space strikes the earth, one part in two billion. Yet this amount of energy is enormous.
Where does all this energy go ?
About 15 percent of the sun’s energy that hits our planet is reflected back to space. Another 30 percent is used to evaporate water, which, lifted in to the atmosphere, produces rainfall. Solar power is also absorbed by plants, the land, and the oceans. The remaining could be used to supply our energy needs.
Who invented solar technology ?
Folks have harnessed solar power for hundreds of years. Since the 7th century B.C., people used simple magnifying glasses to concentrate the light of the sun into beams so hot they'd cause wood to catch fire. Over 100 years ago in France, a scientist used heat from a solar collector to produce steam to drive a steam engine. In the beginning of this century, scientists and engineers began researching ways to use solar energy in earnest. One important development was a remarkably efficient solar boiler invented by Charles Greeley Abbott, an American astrophysicist, in 1936.
People and world governments remained largely indifferent to the possibilities of solar energy prior to the oil shortages of the1970s. Today, people use solar technology to heat buildings and water and to generate electricity.
How we use solar energy today ?
Solar power is used in a number of different ways, of course. There are two standard forms of solar energy:
* Solar thermal energy collects the sun's warmth through one of two means: in water or in an anti-freeze (glycol) mixture.
* Solar photovoltaic energy converts the sun's radiation to usable electricity.
Let us discuss the five most practical and popular methods solar energy is employed:
1. Small portable solar photovoltaic systems. We see these used everywhere, from calculators to solar garden products. Portable units can be utilised for everything from RV appliances while single panel systems can be used traffic signs and remote monitoring stations.
2. Solar pool heating. Running water in direct circulation systems via a solar collector is an extremely practical way to heat water for your pool or hot tub.
3. Thermal glycol energy to heat water. In this method (indirect circulation), glycol is heated by sunshine and the heat is then transferred to water in a hot water tank. This method of collecting the sun's energy is much more practical now than in the past.
4. Integrating solar photovoltaic energy into your home or business power. In numerous parts of the world, solar photovoltaics is an economically feasible method to supplement the power of your home. An increasingly popular and practical way of integrating solar energy into the power of your home or business is through the use of building integrated solar photovoltaics.
5. Large independent photovoltaic systems. For those who have enough sun power at your site, you could possibly go off grid. It's also possible to integrate or hybridize your solar energy system with wind power or other forms of sustainable energy to stay 'off the grid.'
How do Photovoltaic panels work ?
Silicon is mounted beneath non-reflective glass to produce photovoltaic panels. These panels collect photons from the sun, converting them into DC electrical energy. The energy created then flows into an inverter. The inverter transforms the power into basic voltage and AC electric power.
Solar cells are prepared with particular materials called semiconductors like silicon, which is presently the most generally used. When light hits the Photovoltaic cell, a specific share of it is absorbed inside the semiconductor material. This means that the energy of the absorbed light is given to the semiconductor.
The power unfastens the electrons, permitting them to run freely. Solar cells also have more than one electric fields that act to compel electrons unfastened by light absorption to flow in a specific direction. This flow of electrons is a current, and by introducing metal links on the top and bottom of the -Photovoltaic cell, the current can be drawn to use it externally.
Do you know the benefits and drawbacks of solar energy ?
Solar Pro:
- Heating our homes with oil or propane or using electricity from power plants running with oil and coal is a cause of global warming and climate disruption. Solar energy is clean and environmentally-friendly.
- Solar hot-water heaters require little maintenance, and their initial investment may be recovered in just a relatively small amount of time.
- Solar hot-water heaters can work in almost any climate, even just in very cold ones. Simply choose the best system for your climate: drainback, thermosyphon, batch-ICS, etc.
- Maintenance costs of solar powered systems are minimal and also the warranties large.
- Financial incentives can reduce the cost of the first investment in solar technologies.
Solar Cons:
- The initial investment in solar hot-water heaters or in PV electric systems is higher than that required by conventional electric and gas heating systems.
- The payback period of solar PV electric systems can be high (dependent on size of system), as well as those of solar space heating or solar cooling (solar domestic hot-water heating payback is short or relatively short).
- Solar hot-water heaters do not heat water in the central heating system (domestic radiators).
- Some hvac (solar space heating and the solar cooling systems) are very expensive, and rather untested technologies.
- The efficiency of solar powered systems is rather determined by sunlight resources. The distance from the equator has significant impact on the amount of solar energy reaching your solar panel. The closer you are to the equator, the more electricity your solar panels generate.
Who am I ? - Barbara Young writes on http://www.12voltsolarpanels.net/ her personal hobby site. Her work is devoted to helping people save energy using solar powered energy to eliminate CO2 emissions and energy dependency.
URBAN ENERGY
Our mission: “To provide and install, sustainable, world class, clean energy products with the highest level of service and care."
Urban Energy is an innovative organisation specialising in the financing, design and installation of economic and environmentally sound solar powered energy systems for commercial property (private and public) and domestic dwellings. Our expertise in the field of Government sponsored funding programmes and solar power products will provide individuals and organisations with an excellent opportunity to overcome capital cost barriers, save money on energy bills, increase profit margins, increase the value of their property and reduce their carbon footprint.
Urban Energy employ the very best engineers in this field, all of which are fully qualified, MCS certified and Government approved to carry out this task, complying with strict guidelines and are members of the Solar Trade Association.
For further information about Urban Energy products and services:
Call: 0800 232 1624
Email: info@urbanenergy.org.uk
Website: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/
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