Solar Power
All life on Earth depends on energy from the sun. Solar energy is the source of energy for photosynthesis. It provides the warmth necessary for plants and animals to survive. The heat from the sun causes water on the Earth's surface to evaporate and form clouds that eventually provide fresh rainwater.
Solar energy is the result of thermonuclear fusion reactions deep within the sun. These reactions produce so much energy that they keep the surface temperature of the sun at about 10,300B0F. Even though solar energy is the largest source of energy received by the Earth, its intensity at the Earth's surface is actually very low due to the large distance between the Earth and the sun and the fact that the Earth's atmosphere
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Because the intensity of the sun's radiation at the surface of the Earth is so low, collectors designed to capture solar energy must be large.
In the sunniest parts of the continental United States, for example, in order for a collector to gather enough energy to serve one person for one day, the area of the collector's surface must be about 430 square feet. The actual energy that can be used depends on the efficiency of the collector and of the device that converts the radiation into usable energy.
Flat-plate collectors. The most common flat-plate collectors consist of a dark metal plate, covered with one or two sheets of glass, that absorbs heat. The heat is transferred to air or water, called carrier fluids, that flows past the back of the plate. This heat may be used directly or it may be transferred to another medium. Flat-plate collectors are used for home and hot-water heating. Flat-plate collectors typically heat carrier fluids to temperatures ranging from 150B0 to 200B0F. The efficiency of such collectors varies from 20 to 80 percent.
Concentrating collectors. When higher temperatures are required, a concentrating collector is used. These collectors reflect and concentrate sunlight from a wide area.
One such device, called a solar furnace, was installed in the Pyrenees in France and has several acres of mirrors focused on a single target. The energy concentrated at
There are four types of concentrated solar plant technologies: Parabolic Trough, Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector, Power Towers, and a Dish-Engine. As Solar Energy Industries Association explains, “Parabolic trough systems use curved mirrors to focus the sun’s energy onto a receiver tube that runs down the center of a trough. In the receiver tube, a high-temperature heat transfer fluid (such as a synthetic oil) absorbs the sun’s energy, reaching temperatures of 750°F or even higher, and passes through a heat exchanger to heat water and produce steam. The steam drives a conventional steam turbine power system to generate
Solar energy is the most ancient kind of energy found on earth, for it is as old as the sun. "Solar" means from the sun. The earth is only one of the many planets which is bathed in the sun's overflowing energy. Every second the world receives 95.8 trillion watts of power…just think about that for a minute. Think about how much power the earth just received in the time it took you to read this sentence? It is well beyond the amount of power used in one day. It has the potential to satisfy all our energy needs forever without ever having to use the pollutive fossil fuels ever again. "The problem however, does not lie in the limited source, as do fossil fuels, but in harnessing
created to accumulate the power of the sun and store it for whatever needs energy. Source A
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,
The greatest energy that can be produced by the sun is electricity. Photovoltaics, or solar cells, capture the sun and convert it into electricity. Solar cells were discovered by the Europeans back in the 1870’s when they used selenium to develop the telegraph. They found that when light hits selenium it would produce and electrical current. Soon enough there were many scientists and engineers working on photovoltaic systems. Silicon and Selenium proved to be the two best elements to conduct electricity when light hits them. Photovoltaic systems (PV cell) work by converting the suns light into electricity. A semi conducting material absorbs the sunlight, that energy knocks electrons loose from their atoms, this allows the electrons to flow through the material to produce electricity. The further development of solar cells can be attributed to the satellite industry. Solar cells were expensive and there was no use for them until satellites came. Because it is impractical to tether satellites it became important to develop solar energy at any cost that would power these satellites. This created a sustainable market for solar power, the first of its kind.
Most of the processes that are critical for our day-to-day lives are driven by energy provided by the Sun. Energy from the Sun warms the planet and keeps the global temperature within a range that allows life to flourish. The energy stored in the food you eat can be traced back to the Sun, through the conversion of solar energy to chemical energy in the process of photosynthesis. You might think that the gasoline that makes your car run or the oil that
There are many types of alternative energy that are available and being used. One of these sources is solar power. Solar power is the fastest growing and most popular source of alternative energy. There are two processes of solar power that each depend on the nuclear fusion power from the core of the sun. The first process of solar power involves solar cells that depend on the photovoltaic effect to absorb photons and turn them into electrons. The other process involves mirrors or lenses that concentrate a large area of sunlight, or solar thermal energy onto a small area (Williams,"What Are the Different"). Solar power is used to generate light, heat homes, generate electricity, and used for air conditioning in
2-Solar Energy: the use of receptors solar panels pick up solar radiation for turning solar energy to electric power
Photovoltaic (PV) is the most common solar collector used today; an example is the panels people put on rooftops or vending machines.
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 solar industry is divided in three main markets: the European solar thermal market, the Chinese market and the market in other world regions. The industry is segmented in two main types of solar thermal collectors, which are evacuated tube collectors (80 per cent on average of the worldwide newly installed capacity in 2010) and flat plate collectors (20 per cent on average). This industry is characteristic of technology intensive industries with their central innovation: solar thermal water heating which radically reduces costs. They can also count on experimented installers. Each customer adopt and have
In order for one to further understand the importance of solar energy, the problem of global warming must be explained. As defined by Webster’s Dictionary, “Global Warming” is an increase in the earth’s average atmospheric temperature that causes corresponding changes in climate and that may result from the greenhouse effect. With an average increase in atmospheric temperatures, our planet is slowly deteriorating. In order to stall or halt this global destruction, countries must turn to solar energy as a cleaner alternative to the depletion of fossil fuels. Solar energy creates a homeostasis for the climate. Due to its ability to decrease global climate changes, solar power can address global warming in several ways.
Solar energy is the most plentiful and purist renewable energy source available. Because it is completely natural, it is considered to be a clean energy source. It does not disrupt the environment or threaten the Eco-systems the way oil and some other energy sources tend to. Nor does it cause greenhouse gases, air or water pollution. Solar energy is an immensely important aspect of life and has been since the beginning of time. Increasingly, we are learning how to harness this important resource and use it to replace traditional energy sources. Modern technology can utilize this energy in a variety of ways, such as; generating electricity, providing light or a comfortable interior environment, and heating water for domestic, industrial, or commercial use. One day solar energy may well become our primary form of energy. This would lead to a clean environment, less money spent on utilities, and a healthier world. It is highly important because it has the potential to allow technology and nature to co-exist peacefully.
Solar power is one of the most environmentally benign energy sources available. Just 20 days of sunshine produces the same amount of energy as everything stored in Earth’s reserves of oil, coal, and natural gas—yet does not come close to producing the same amount of environmental damage as even one of those options (Greentips, 2005). Solar farms are a clean renewable source that can meet high energy demands and can creates thousands of jobs in the future. It is also used during peak demand for electricity. During the hottest days, the panels are absorbing more energy while homeowners have the a.c. on full blast. They can be installed anywhere
Solar power harness the sun 's energy to create electricity. Solar energy assets are enormous and boundless, and they can be tackled anyplace that gets sunlight. The measure of solar radiation, otherwise called insolation, coming to the earth 's surface consistently is more than all the energy at present devoured by every single human activity yearly [1]. Various variables, including geographic area, time of day, and current climate conditions, all influence the measure of energy that can engage in for electricity creation or heating purposes.