Solar energy

Introduction

Solar energy is the readily and most easily available source of energy on Earth. It is also the cleanest and most abundant renewable energy available. Solar energy involves the harnessing of the light and heat from the sun using a wide range of ever evolving technologies like solar heating, solar photovoltaics, solar thermal electricity etc. It is an important source of non-conventional source of energy as it does not cause any pollution and helps in reducing the greenhouse effect.

The earth receives about 3850000 ExaJoules of energy per year which is way higher than the total energy consumed by humans in a year. There are three basic types of solar energy usage:

Solar panels, which directly convert solar energy into heat
Concentrating solar power, which focuses solar radiation using arrays of mirrors to superheat some fluid, which is then used to generate electricity.
Solar cells, which convert solar energ directly into electricity

The use of solar power can be traced back to 1767, when a Swiss scientist named Horace-Benedict de Saussure created the first solar collector, which was an insulated box covered with three layers of glass to absorb heat energy. This box came to be known as the first solar oven, reaching temperatures of 230 degrees.

In 1977, the US government embraced the use of of solar energy by launching Solar Energy Research Institute.

The past few years have seen a tremendous growth and investment in solar plants. The two largest solar power parks in Asia, as of 2012, were India’s Gujarat Solar park, with a capacity of 605 megawatts and China’s Golmud Solar Park, with an istalled capacity of 200 megawatts. (http://exploringgreentechnology.com/solar-energy/history-of-solar-energy/)

However, solar energy is largely unexploited, and it is essential to utilize this source of energy to its maximum potential.

Video- How does solar energy work? Check it out!

Solar Panels

Advantages vs

It is free, though expenditure has to be incurred

constructing collectors which can trap the solar radiation

and convert it into electricity. However, the cost of

construction is only one time, thereafter which the

use of solar energy is largely free.

It is a highly reliable source of energy. The sun is

constant and has been producing energy for billion of

years and will continue to do so. Solar energy is also a

renewable source of energy. It can be used over and

over again and does not deplete over time.

Solar energy does not cause any pollution. It does

not involve burning of fossil fuels to generate power.

The burning of fossil fuels generate harmful gases

into the atmosphere which causes phenomenas like

global warming.

Solar cells that produce solar power need very little

maintenance, as they do not have any moving parts.

They last for a long time, sometimes more than thirty

years. It is also economical, as the cost on maintenance

is saved to a great extent.

Solar energy is also very versatile, it can be used to

power a wide range of things.

Fossil fuels are fast depleting since they are

non renewable. Hence, it is essential to shift to a

more sustainable and long lasting source of energy.

Disadvantages

Solar energy requires insolation by the sun to be

utilizied, and in that sense can be used only during

the day time. On cloudy days or at night, there may

not be enough sunlight to generate electricity, hence

a back up is essential.

Solar panels and cells are costly to produce,

however due to improving technology of

production, the cost is falling.

Solar panels can currently only convert a maximum

of 34% ( and around 22% for the majority of panels)

of the available sunlight into electrical energy,

although more efficient panels are being developed. (http://www.sustainabledevelopmentinfo.com/solar-power-advantages-and-disadvantages/

Sunlight is diffuse, as a result of which a

large number of solar panels are required to

produce adequate amount of electricity, leading

to requirement of large spaces and heavy resources.

Some interesting applications

Solar trash cans

These trash cans were designed to reduce the impact of trash in cities with growing populations and increasing waste. It was designed by BigBelly Solar. These trash cans are powered by the sun and they compact the trash periodically and creates space for more garbage. It also lowers the operating costs, fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions asociated with garbage collection.

Have a look at the solar trash can in action!

Solar paint

This entails a nanoscale mixture of photovoltaic components that can be painted or sprayed on to any number of surfaces to create cheap, efficient solar cells. A team of researchers from the University of Alberta developed this cost-effective paint where in they made use of zinc and phosphide nanoparticles. This discovery maybe an important step to make solar power more accessible to parts of the world which face a high power costs. (http://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Solar-PaintThe-Next-Big-Thing.html). It helps to lower carbin footprint and also reduce green house gas emissions.

Check out how solar paint works!

Solar powered desert structure

This structure brings solar technology into a context of art, beauty and architecture. These solar panels are capable of generating up to 10 MW of electrical power for the local community, on a sunny day. This structure also helps to shelter the visitors from the hot sun. this structure was designed by architect Michael Jantzen. The basic structure would be constructed from a series of prefabricated panels, each fitted with a steel support frame, and covered with a colored concrete composite skin. These panels can be added or removed to scale the structure up or down and/or to change the shape at any time. The south facing panels will be covered with shadow tolerant, non-glass high temperature performance photovoltaic film. (http://www.ecofriend.com/solar-energy-field-renewable-energy-producing-structure-for-deserts.html)