Solar Energy Research Papers

     The real question around the beginning of the 19th century concerning solar energy was "could the sun produce electricity directly?" The main motivation behind this desire was that electricity could be stored in a battery, and used later. It would not be necessary to use the device in the sunlight. All inventions failed, until Frank Shuman, an engineer from Pennsylvania finally made a breakthrough. He built an experimental plant that used black troughs covered in glass with a few inches of water. When exposed to the sun, the water got very hot, causing it to circulate and power an electric generator. His data was so convincing that he got financial backers and built the world's first solar electric power plant in Egypt. However, the Eastern Sun Power Company went out of business even though it was using free fuel. It didn't produce enough electricity for the area that it used, 14,000 sq. ft of sun-collecting land (Zweibel 48).

In 1767, a Swiss scientist discovered a practical way to harness the energy of the sun. Horace de Saussure invented the “solar hot box,” the first devise to attract and capture the energy capabilities of the sun. The main uses of this primitive solar box consisted of cooking food, distilling water and pumping water for irrigation. It was not until the

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.

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.

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 is quickly becoming a popular project to take on. Not only does it help save the environment, but it can also help save money for businesses and homes that elect to make the switch to solar. However, completing a solar project is expensive and it is important to look for ways to promote efficiency of the install and of the system itself.

If citizens of U.S use solar energy, we can help stop and/or slow down global warming. Solar energy is a popular way of getting clean energy. It can power anything that runs on energy such as your house, stores, streetlamps, and even the new Tesla cars. Solar energy is the use of sunlight to create heat and energy(Bryan). In order to do this you need solar panels. These are panels of any size that collect sunlight and convert it into heat and energy. There are many advantages and disadvantages to solar energy, but because of the amazing advantages to it, most people think it is worth it.

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

i) Sub Point A: According to eere.enegry.gov, the U.S. Department of Energy, solar powered technology dates back to the 7th century B.C. The first piece of solar powered technology is the magnifying glass. You know, that thing you used when you were little to burn ants and things. The first solar panels though, like the ones we sometimes see on top of houses or rooftops, were first created back in 1976 by two scientist, David Carlson and Christopher Wronski.

It is unknown when people started using the sun for uses other than growing food. History records that Greeks used the sun when the Romans came to attack by holding hundreds of mirrors along the tops of their city walls. The sun reflected off the mirrors facing the sails of the Roman ships. The sails burst into flames and the Roman ships were destroyed. In 1839, Alexandre Edmond Becquerel explained how electricity can be generated from the sun. In 1866, a French scientist, Auguste Mouchot, was ordered by Napoleon III to devise ways of using the sun’s energy. He designed the first known solar cooker.

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 energy and its use isn’t new to the world. It has been used by various societies beginning from 7thCentury B.C, when the sun’s heat was concentrated by glass and mirrors to light fires. Today, we have everything from solar-powered buildings to solar-powered vehicles. By and large solar technology has some environmental, economic, psychological and ethical implications for our society. Actions taken by companies and individuals to increase the use of solar technology will create good local jobs, improve our environment and reduce our dependence on foreign oil while doing what’s ethical and moral for our society.

The extensive use of fossil fuels has resulted in the global problem of greenhouse emissions. Moreover, as the supplies of fossil fuels are depleted in the future, they will become increasingly expensive. Thus, solar

One of the most difficult and befuddling tasks of an indoor grower is to select the best light source for the proper growth of plants. After all, it really is an important task to find a replacement for the natural sunlight. In all other choices over items for indoor growing, people are usually able to narrow down to a particular item but in the context of the light source, users find themselves bamboozled. The market is replete with light sources and they only contribute to making the indoor growers more and more perplexed. However, when acquainted with certain facts, any indoor grower can make an informed decision about the light source that would be most suitable for your plant.