Solar Energy

 

Our Sun, one of more than 100 billion stars in our galaxy, is the largest object in the solar system. Each second it converts about 700 million tons of hydrogen into 695 million tons of helium, with the lost 5 million tons of mass producing heat and light energy. The Sun is about 4.5 billion years old and since its birth it used up about half of its hydrogen in its core. The remaining hydrogen should last for about 4-5 billion years. 

 

Solar technologies directly utilise energy from the sun. Solar technologies include:

  • Photovoltaic systems - convert sunlight to electricity   

  • Solar thermal electric power - convert sunlight to electricity via heating water and producing steam

  • Solar hot water systems - heat water for pools & buildings

  • Solar space heating systems - provide heat for buildings

  • Passive solar heating - buildings are designed to naturally collect & retain the sun's heat

Advantages

  • Solar power is relatively pollution free

  • Facilities can operate with little maintenance or intervention after initial set up.

  • Solar power is becoming more economical as production costs decreases and the technology becomes more effective in energy conversion.

  • Solar power is available to approximately half the planet at any given moment.

  • Solar power can be viewed as a local resource because of regional climatic variances.

  • Some countries, regions, etc (such as island communities, desolate regions and ocean-going vessels) are harvesting solar power as a viable energy resource.

Disadvantages

  • The impact of environmental pollution during manufacture and construction should be taken into account

  • It is most practical in certain areas with a favourable climate and latitude. (However some solar applications, such as solar water heating, work well using non-focused technology and indirect sunlight).

  • The best placed locations for solar power arrays tend to be far from areas of highest energy demand

  • It is not available at night and is reduced when there is cloud cover, decreasing the reliability of peak output performance.

  • It must be converted into some other form of energy to be stored

  • Solar cell technologies produce DC power which must be converted to the AC power when used in distribution grids.

solar panels       

Solar Panels