What is Solar Energy?

The creation of solar energy requires little maintenance and solar electricity power plants produce zero emissions. Solar power plants use two different types of technologies: Concentrated solar power and Photovoltaic systems. Concentrated solar power plants, also known as “concentrated solar thermal”, uses solar thermal energy to make steam that is converted into electricity by a turbine. A photovoltaic system, also known as solar panels, generates electricity from sunlight. It is a device that converts light energy into electrical energy.

Solar energy is created by converting sunlight into electricity using photovoltaics (PV) or the less common

the sun is a great and appendant source of energy, it's called solar energy. Solar panels were

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.

The sun, wind, and water are just some of the natural resources that people were able to use to make energy. There are solar panels, wind and water turbines that harvest the energy within these elements and converts them into electricity. These new technologies could potentially solve some pollution problems that have arisen over the years. First, look at how a solar panel is able to convert sun energy to electricity. Every single day, the sun rises over the horizon shining its rays over the land. Solar panels convert photons from the sunlight into direct current electricity. This electricity is

According to solarhome, the term solar power more specifically refers to the use of the sun’s energy for electricity.

Solar power is energy from the sun’s heat and released energy that is transformed into

For wind, its kinetic energy turns rotor blades of the windmill and the rotor turns and shaft connected to a generator. DC output can be stored in battery or converted to AC and fed into a grid. Minimum wind speeds are required to produce electricity and the Midwest and offshore areas provide such conditions (Hinrichs 398). Like most forms of energy, efficient storage is key. Wind is not constant and money would be put towards research and development to find the most efficient way to store wind energy. For solar, photovoltaic cells convert the suns energy directly into electricity. (Hinrchs 375). Photovoltaic cells are made of silicon, which is plentiful. When radiation hits a cell, electrons are knocked free and this photoelectric effect creates a direct current, which is converted to an alternating current (“Solar Energy”). For solar concentration systems, mirrors are manipulated to redirect the sun’s rays to heat water. The flashing water creates steam and like other energy producing plants, the steam is used to turn a turbine. The mechanical energy is then turned into electrical energy (“How It Works”).

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 nothing completely new; it has been used for years to power small devices from calculators to watches, but what is new is its improved efficiency. Solar panels can be used to collect energy from the sun and now are being used on a much larger scale. Homeowners and business can use energy generated from the panels to power their homes and offices and have it purchased by energy suppliers. Solar power is proving to be an economical energy source available to the public that is consumer friendly.

Solar cells are now being widely used all over the world. A solar cell is also known as a photovoltaic cell. It is an electrical device that converts the energy of visible light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect. The light that shines on the cell produces a current and a voltage to generate electric power. Photovoltaic modules produce direct current (DC) while homes use alternating current (AC). If a DC load is used you can use an inverter which changes DC electricity into AC. This will be discussed in more detail later on.

According to the National Institute for Energy Research and the U.S. Energy Information Administration, solar energy makes up only 0.5% of total energy consumption in the United States, and over 65% of consumed energy is natural gas and petroleum. (2016) These statistics show that nearly two-thirds of the energy the United States uses is not only non-renewable but the processess of harnessing it also causes pollution. Solar Energy is energy that is transferred through solar radiation in the form of electromagnetic energy. In the transference of solar radiation to Earth from the Sun, only one billionth of this energy arrives at Earth 's surface. A joule is the equivalence of one watt of power that is created through exertion for one second. One trillion watts of this generated energy is known as a terawatt. As Haugen and Musser (2012), examined types of alternative, renewable energy sources, they looked at hydro-power. They said that it, “is the most used renewable energy source used in the United States. It accounted for almost 80 percent of the renewable energy and 9 percent of the total electricity generated in the United States in 2008.” This shows that solar is not the only option for renewable energy, nor is it the most used. Solar power, however, does not instigate change in the environment as hydro-power does. In order for many of the dams to be created to instigate the use of hydro-power, waterways have to be rerouted or otherwise altered from their natural

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.

With the evolution of society, the necessity of alternative energy sources, that suit in what sustainable development requires is more evident throughout the years. Since the reduction of the emission of gases that cause the greenhouse effect, for example, is an important factor. The sun is the planet’s primary energy. It is responsible for practically all of the observable natural processes. Thus, nowadays, technologies that have the sun as a source have been considered, studied and utilized. The photovoltaic technologies are an example of how it is practicable to obtain energy from the sun. These TECHNOLOGIES have been developed throughout the years and it is one of the main hopes of clean and renewable energy