What Is Solar Energy and How Can It Benefit You?

Solar Energy is a renewable resource that can produce clean, green electricity while helping protect ecosystems harmed by fossil fuel use. Engineers have improved solar panel efficiency over the last decade to make solar more affordable and sustainable.

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Costs associated with solar power have dropped considerably over time, with hard costs, such as hardware purchases, declining even further. Here are nine new facts about Solar Energy to keep yourself up-to-date and informed.

Photovoltaics

Solar cells, or photovoltaics, convert sunlight into electricity. Each PV cell consists of a semiconductor material such as silicon that has been treated to create an electric field when exposed to sunlight, knocking electrons loose from atoms within its structure and flowing along a circuit, creating solar energy.

As electrons flow through a solar panel, metal gridlines on either side collect them and direct them toward electrical conductors that lead to an inverter that then converts this energy into usable electricity.

Net metering occurs when more electricity is generated than consumed by a PV system and fed into the local electricity grid, but electricity networks weren’t designed to handle two-way energy flows, leading to technical challenges that require solutions such as regulating PV inverter power factor regulation or installing new voltage and energy control equipment at distributor level re-conductoring electricity wires, among others.

Concentrated solar power plants

Not so long ago, electricity generation looked like something from Blade Runner 2049. Endless rows of mirrors were used to focus sunbeams onto receiver tubes, which heated fluids in order to produce energy, and then drive steam turbines, thermochemical reactions, or traditional steam engines.

Thermal energy produced from solar collectors can be stored and used during cloudy or nighttime periods to generate power, making this technology a key part of creating a low-carbon grid.

CSP differs from PV by using heat engines with Rankine or Brayton cycles to convert sunlight to electricity, using mirrors to focus sunlight onto a receiver at the top of a tower, while trough systems like Crescent Dunes Nevada and Ivanpah California plants focus it onto absorber tubes connected by wet cooling troughs that focus it down onto receivers at lower altitudes. Both plants use large amounts of water, but they do so at a lower level than fossil fuel plants.

Solar water heaters

Solar water heaters (SWH) use the sun’s thermal energy to heat your household water supply. These systems work best in warm climates and can significantly cut your energy costs by more than half. ENERGY STAR-certified solar water heaters include a backup electric or gas water heater that can provide heated water at night, on cloudy days or when temperatures are below freezing. A pump circulates a nontoxic mixture of propylene glycol-water antifreeze through collectors and storage tank, with any coolant then returning back through collectors to be reheated again by them before going back through collectors again for reuse by collectors reheating.

Solar water heating systems come in two varieties, direct and passive. Both require an auxiliary water heater; however, direct systems tend to work more effectively in warmer climates.

Solar ovens

Harnessing solar energy to cook food is an increasingly popular and practical means of producing electricity. Solar ovens can be large, professionally built structures or simple DIY designs created from recycled materials. All use reflective, absorptive, and glazed surfaces to collect sunlight. Some solar ovens can reach temperatures of over 200deg F.

Solar ovens are best set up with the sun directly overhead. They should be repositioned regularly to maximize direct sunlight. You may also place black paper at the bottom of your box in order to absorb and focus heat efficiently.

Solar ovens are a great alternative to traditional electric appliances. They eliminate the need for fuel and reduce carbon emissions. They are also great for areas that don’t have access to wood, allowing kids to learn about solar power and food preparation.