What is Solar Energy?
Solar Energy is the process of using the Sun's energy in order to generate electricity or heat, using a system of mirrors or panels.
Photovoltaic Cells (Solar Cells) convert sunlight directly into electricity. Photovoltaic cells are generally made up of silicon, and are usually arranged on rectangular panels (as shown in the picture above).
How Does Solar Power Work?
When the sunlight hits an Photovoltaic cell, the energy knocks the electrons free of their atoms, which allows flow through the material. Resulting Direct Current (DC) electricity is then sent to an inverter for conversion into Alternating Current (AC).
Solar Concentration systems generally use mirrors that are arranged in a series of long, parabolic troughs, a circle surrounding a "power tower" or a large round dish. This is done to focus the sun's reflected rays on heat-collection. Concentrated sunlight heats water or heat-transferring liquids to generate steam, which then is used to power turbines to generate electricity, as shown in the below diagram.
Why use Solar Energy?
How much does Solar Energy cost?
How many watts can Solar Panels produce?
What are the advantages of Solar Energy?
1) Solar Power does not produce any polluting emissions, including those emissions that cause global warming
2) Solar Power reduces electric bills for both commercial and residential consumers.
3) Sunlight is infinitely renewable so long as the sun exists
4) Solar Panels are silent (since they do not have moving parts), rarely need maintenance, and are relatively easy to operate
5) When the demand for electricity is high, utilities can use the panels to generate extra energy rather
What are some of the uses for Solar Energy?
The actual costs in building a wind farm vary. However, the major cost is for the wind turbine itself. This is typically a capital cost and usually is paid for upfront and may account for roughly 75% of the costs.