Solar energy refers to any sort of energy derived from sunshine.
Humans have been harnessing solar energy, or the sun's radiant light and heat, since ancient times, utilizing a variety of ever-evolving methods.
Solar radiation, as well as secondary solar-powered resources including wind and wave power, hydroelectricity, and biomass, provide for the majority of the world's renewable energy.
Only a tiny fraction of the solar energy available is consumed.
Human creativity and the scarce resources required to develop the systems limit the uses of solar energy.
Space heating and cooling via solar architecture, drinkable water via distillation and disinfection, daylighting, solar hot water, solar cooking, and high temperature process heat for industrial uses are only a few examples of solar applications.
Solar panels are the most prevalent method for harvesting solar energy.
Depending on how energy is captured, transformed, and distributed, solar technologies are classified as either passive or active.
Photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors are two active solar energy harvesting devices.
Orienting a building to the sun's seasonal orientation, selecting materials with favorable thermal mass, which will capture and radiate solar energy, light dispersion qualities, or designing areas that naturally circulate solar heated air are all examples of passive solar approaches.
Applications[edit | edit source]
Some types of solar energy, such as heating, are well-suited to low-tech construction, but others, such as photovoltaic cells for electricity generation, are often mass-produced in high-tech capital-intensive factories. [expansion needed] Designs can be active or passive.needed]
Electricity The conversion of sunlight into electricity is known as solar power. It can be done using photovoltaics (PV), concentrated solar power (CSP), or a combination of both. The photovoltaic effect is used in solar cells to convert light into an electric current. Solar tracking systems and lenses or mirrors are used in concentrated solar power systems to focus and concentrate a wide area of sunlight into a small beam or point.
It is often regarded as "green," meaning renewable, long-lasting, and environmentally friendly. Solar power is becoming more economically viable and vital as the cost of electricity and alternative sources rises.
Cooking A solar cooker turns sunlight into usable thermal energy. The "fuel" is sunlight, and the needs for solar cooking are minimal. The solar cooker must be placed in a location that receives direct sunlight for several hours and is sheltered from high winds. Solar cookers are obviously ineffective at night or on cloudy days. Dark surfaces absorb sunlight and heat up. To keep heat and moisture in, cook food in dark, shallow, thin metal pots with dark, tight-fitting lids. A clear cover is required to retain the heat created when the black pot absorbs the sun's rays. This might be as basic as a clear plastic bag or as complex as a clear plastic bag. Numerous layers of glass were purged Using reflectors to increase the concentration of sunlight on your collector is one way to speed up the cooking process.
Other uses • Papermaking's various stages • Using a heat engine to generate mechanical energy
Benefits[edit | edit source]
The advantages of solar energy are numerous:
• One of the most common renewable energy sources is solar energy. • Solar panels can significantly lower your electricity expenditures. The amount you can save on your bills is determined by the size of your solar system and your household's energy consumption. • Solar energy can be utilized for a variety of reasons, including generating electricity (photovoltaics) and providing heat (solar thermal).
• of Solar energy systems are generally low-cost to maintain. Cleaning businesses charge an average of £25-£35 per cleaning, and manufacturers provide warranties of 20-25 years. Solar panels will continue to be one of the most effective sustainable energy sources on the globe because to technological advancements in the solar panel sector.
The Sun[edit | edit source]
Our sun is one of the most important sources of energy we have. A thermonuclear fusion reaction occurs at the core of the sun, converting hydrogen to helium. The reaction's energy goes from the sun's core to the surface, where it is mostly emitted as light. Heat and light are two types of energy that the earth receives. According to the US Department of Energy, enough energy reaches the earth every hour to cover our annual energy needs. The annual amount of sunlight reaching the planet is 4x1018 Joules. The global population consumes around 3X1015 Joules of energy.
References[edit | edit source]
>Jovylen Codina, "The Sun's Power".
