Solar Energy Technology and its Policies
Increased energy consumption in the world today is a growing concern. Most of the energy consumption today comes from fossil fuels. Fossil fuels mainly consist of oil, coal, and natural gas as the most commonly used ones. These products are non-renewable sources meaning that one day it will be all used up. But the issues with fossil fuels extend past its eventual finish, the burning of them leads to greenhouse gas emissions and in non-producing countries there is a higher dependency on imports most especially from politically unstable countries who export them. With all the problems fossil fuels bring, the world is trying to find a cleaner and more efficient way of generating energy. That has been partially accomplished with the use of renewable sources such as wind, biofuels, solar, nuclear and the list goes on. In this paper, I am going to concentrate more on solar energy. Solar is the Latin word for sun therefore, solar energy means energy from the sun. Amongst the different renewable sources, solar is one the least used sources in energy production. Figure 1: Solar Panel Array
Solar is the Latin word for sun therefore, solar energy means energy from the sun. The main equipment used for converting sunlight into electricity is the solar panel. The solar panel is made from solar cells also called photovoltaic (PV) cells. The name is derived from the process of converting light (photons) to electricity (voltage) which is known as
Solar energy is created by converting sunlight into electricity using photovoltaics (PV) or the less common
Solar energy is a renewable energy source meaning that the energy is generated by the sun. The way that solar produces energy is by the sun's rays that reach earth and converts into heat and electricity. Its transported by photovoltaic ( pv devices ) and solar thermal electric power plants. Examples of this energy source is : solar powered window blinds, bulbs, refrigerators, radios, calculators,
Simply stated, the definition of "solar energy" is energy that is created by the sun. In the context of modern usage, "solar energy" may refer to technology that converts radiation from the sun into usable energy sources, such as electricity. In essence, solar panels gather energy from the sun 's rays and send the energy out through a process that results in electricity, that can be used to power homes, machinery and much more. Solar energy is a sought-after source of alternative energy because the sun offers a clean, renewable and cost-effective resource as long as it continues to burn and power life on Earth.
Solar energy begins with the sun. Solar panels, also known as photovoltaics, are used to convert light from the sun, which is composed of particles of energy called "photons", into electricity that can be used to power electrical loads. Light from the sun is a renewable energy resource that provides clean energy, produced by solar panels.
Solar energy is defined as the transformation of the sun’s rays into useful forms of energy, for instance, electricity and heat. The capacity of solar radiation a place receives depends on a variety of factors such as geographic location, time of day, season, and local weather. According to Knier (n.d.) photo voltaic and concentrating solar power cells are the two forms of sources to produce electricity. Photo voltaic cells generate electricity directly using solar cells and concentrated solar power cells generate electricity using steam. According to The World Bank - for the past three years, India has taken a enormous step in forwarding and in implementing the green growth agenda by producing 2,000 MW of solar power at the world’s cheap tariff. Solar power is likely to reduce India’s usage of imports of diesel and coal. A number of measurements are probably taking to generate 20,000 MW of solar power in future by 2022. The Solar industry is likely to create 200-400 jobs in the industries like research, development and installation, for every 10 MW of solar power generated. Hence, the government of India had taken enormous steps to increase the productivity of the solar energy. This research report will discuss the effectiveness and the limitations of solar power in India
Solar energy is rising throughout the United States. This source is mainly used in remote locations, but is becoming popular in urban areas. In 18 days of sunlight the earth receives an equal amount of energy stored in all of the earths reserves of oil, coal, and natural gas. Solar energy is produced by collecting sunlight with large, flat panels, made up of individual solar cells, and converting the sunlight into electricity. Solar energy is an alternative to fossil fuel and it is important to know the advantages, disadvantages, and the overall price.
The sun is a massive burning ball of hydrogen that outputs gigantic quantities of energy every second. Sunlight is an excellent energy source and the future of using solar power is very exciting. The Sun's energy can be used to heat and cool buildings, generate electricity, operate communication, and GPS systems and even power solar cars. The sun’s energy is clean and solar panels used to harness the energy are low maintenance.
Solar panel absorbs sunrays as a source of energy to produce electricity. They usually comprise of smaller units known as photovoltaic cells (PV). They are the means of conversion. Electrical energy is converted into mechanical energy by means of a machine called electric motor.
Alternative or clean energy is the way of the future. Every day we wait to implementing changes in the way we generate energy, is a lost opportunity to prevent further damage to the environment. As Kevin Begos (2016) points out in his article “The Solar Energy Controversies” by implementing solar technologies we can help the environment by reduce our dependency on fossil fuels (p. 387).
There are two main forms of solar power: The use of photovoltaic, or PV, cells, and the use of thermal energy from the sun. Photovoltaic cells exploit the photoelectric effect, which converts the protons from the light of the sun into electrons, which can be converted into energy. Photovoltaic energy accounts for fifteen gigawatts of global energy, which is equivalent to fifteen large electric power plants. Also, the production of PV cells has increased by two thousand times over the past twenty years, and it is expected to continue to grow. Solar-thermal energy takes the thermal energy created by the sun and turns it into electricity. Although it only only produces as much energy as one large power plant, solar-thermal energy has many domestic uses. It can not only be used for electricity, but also for solar heating, which uses sunlight to heat up houses. Solar power has already proven to be a reliant source of energy, and it will only continue to improve in technology and
With the growing cost of fuel for cars and the rolling blackouts of last summer, the need for an alternative, cost-effective, environment friendly energy source is escalating. Many possible solutions have been presented, such as nuclear power, wind power, and hydrogen fuel cells; prevalent among these is solar power.
Solar energy is the energy from the sun. It uses sunlight to produce electricity. These panels are usually installed on the roof and positioned to face the sun. Most countries all around the world use solar energy to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels and making it as a sizable share of their energy supply. Solar panels are used in large numbers by homes and offices to reduce their monthly electricity bills and reduces the need of electricity from utility companies.
In addition, solar energy operational costs are manageable. It is free from monthly charges compared to conventional sources of energy. Solar energy does not require raw materials such as oil and coal, and once the panels are built, there will be no monthly charges. In addition, the prices of fossil fuels are increasing day by day, and this means conventional energy will be very expensive. Solar energy will remain the most capable world’s future power supply because, it is cost effective once the plants are built, and there will be no transport costs like for conventional energy sources. Therefore, solar energy is cost-effective, and will help in future energy supply, as the maintenance cost is affordable, as long as they are installed properly, and are working efficiently ( Hans, 2012). Furthermore, with the improvement and advancement of technology, it will increase its efficiency, and cost of production thus, making it more cost effective and the world’s best
The energy the Earth receives from the sun, primarily as visible light and other forms of electromagnetic power. The term solar energy often refers to processes that use this energy to generate heat or electricity for human use. Just how does sunshine become electricity? Here 's an overview of the solar energy facts, the process, and the equipment that can help you generate your own clean, more affordable energy. The solar panels are made up of photovoltaic (PV) cells, which convert sunlight into direct current electricity throughout the day. A device converts the DC electricity generated by the solar panels into the alternating current electricity. The AC electricity is sent from the inverter to your electrical panel to power your lights and appliances with solar energy. The electrical panel is often called a "breaker box." The utility meter measures your energy use. It actually goes backward when your system generates more power than you immediately need. This excess solar energy offsets the energy you use at night. Your business is still connected to the grid. You’ll need that power from the utility company at night, but don’t worry. The cost is offset by any
Solar panels use small photons packets of energy from rays of sun to generate electricity. Solar panels are made up of photovoltaic cells - (photo = light and voltaic = electricity).