Potential of Solar Energy
Why did such a question didn’t arise in anyone’s mind to date? Why is the energy, which is lying around and getting wasted, instead of harnessing it efficiently? How a large amount of the energy given by the sun is overlooked and finally wasted?
There is not a single reason but in fact, there are many that solar energy is getting wasted but one of the reasons for the wastage is the sunlight which one gets is so lightly degenerate from corner to corner of the earth that one can hardly manage to bind it.
So to harness solar energy, one must have the potential to change, concentrate and collect the sun’s energy. Although it seems very simple and easy, the fact is that it is not so. Until now, we have only been able to discover three partially successful ways of harnessing solar energy. The three methods are as below
The Reflection Method – Mirrors / Parabola
The first method of collecting solar energy is the reflection method. This technique makes use of mirrors, which help with the concentration of the sun’s rays, which can thus be used for our needs. The mirror, which can be used here, is a parabolic one. It is an antenna that is disc-shaped, which helps in capturing the sun’s rays and concentrates at a focal point.
The radiation method
The radiation method is one of the principles behind the water heaters, which are solar. This solar water heater has pipes that are black and sandwiched in mid of two layers of glass. The water is present inside these heaters, which gets heated up due to the heat rays from the sun.
Solar panels![Affordable Solar Panels System at your Home]( "Solar Panels")
One of the latest inventions, which helps in collecting solar energy, is the ’solar cell’. The solar cell consists of treated silicon crystals. These crystals, when attacked by the sunrays, force the electrons to come out of their orbits. Henceforth, an emptiness is created, which very soon needs to be taken up by electrons coming not from the same orbit or silicon crystals. This ultimately leads to the unevenness of electrons. Thus, current flow takes place, which can at once be used or can be even be utilized for the rechargeable battery.
Read More: Best Solar Panel for Cloudy Days
How to Choose Best Solar Power Plants For Your Location
Solar power has become one of the most popular renewable energy sources. It is able to produce electricity at affordable prices. However, it does not always provide sufficient energy for your home or business. Fortunately, it can be increased by adding additional solar panels on your roof (or any other place on your property).
The use of solar power plants in different locations, for various purposes, and by various types of customers is a very common issue in today’s market. The section discusses how to choose the right solar plant and customers with particular needs in terms of energy consumption and reliability.
For small and medium-sized businesses, solar power is a viable option for their electricity needs. It offers a source of affordable energy, which can help them stay competitive in the marketplace. Small and mid-sized businesses consider solar power plants as a valuable addition to their operations. They benefit from the ample savings they can get by switching to renewable sources of energy over traditional fossil fuels. They also have an added advantage by gaining access to a source of clean energy that comes with no upfront costs, but only ongoing costs. For instance, small and mid-sized enterprises can help consumers save on their utility bills
Pros and Cons of Solar Energy
Crisis in the natural resources of energy like fossil fuel, coal, and natural gas has compelled mankind to be curious about alternative power resources like wind and hydro energy. However, the most effective among all renewable power resources has been solar energy, which has a huge supply of required energy content. Solar energy is mostly used for domestic purposes. It can be utilized to generate electricity, heating water, cooking and even for the process of distillation.
The main advantage of using solar energy is that it is clean and environmentally friendly. The sun rays penetrating the earth’s atmosphere can be effectively utilized to draw solar energy. Such huge storage of energy can easily be utilized to compensate for the requirement of other natural resources like oil and coal.
Solar energy is cheaper than electricity expenses as it is naturally available. If an arrangement can be made to trap the energy and store it, it can also be used for future purposes. Solar panels are designed for this purpose to confine solar energy in the form of electricity. There are some solar-driven devices available in the market like water heaters, solar cookers, solar light which can easily fulfill your small requirement and thus reduce our expenses naturally without any recurring cost.
If you live in rural areas where power electricity lines are not easily available or have trouble with power cuts or failures, you can easily opt for solar energy systems to satisfy the crisis of power shortage. It can be a great alternative power resource for every energy purpose.
When drinking water is scarce, there is distillation required to disinfect the water from harmful minerals and germs. In arsenic and iron-borne areas, a distillation of water is almost compulsory. Solar energy can be well utilized in these areas for achieving distillation.
Although being a great source of alternative power, there are few drawbacks to using solar energy. The main problem with this energy source is that the energy packets are very scattered and the energy rays are not concentrated. This requires a lot of area for absorption of power and several solar panels to be installed.
Establishing a natural power resource like the solar energy system can be quite costly and may be difficult to afford for many. Although the government is providing aids, it is still not well distributed to help all. There are places where solar energy cannot reach easily due to the solstice effects of the tilt of the earth. This prevents the usage of solar energy as sun rays are the primary requirement for collecting solar energy.
The Sun and Potential of Solar Energy
At Energy solar Blog we often talk about solar power, but not about the main component of solar energy – the Sun! So here are some interesting facts about the star that turns our solar system, that will hopefully help you better understand this wonderful source of clean energy.
- The Earth could fit inside of the Sun one million times.
- Sunlight takes 8.3 minutes to reach the earth’s outer atmosphere. The sun could disappear and we would still receive sunlight for 8 minutes before darkness hit
- Enough sunlight strikes the Earth to provide the entire planet’s energy needs for one year in the space of a single hour
- Fossil Fuel is a form of stored solar energy. Biomass that formerly used Solar energy has been changed into fuel by the earth’s geologic activity
- About 50% of that sunlight reaches the earth and is absorbed by its surface. Approximately 30% of the sunlight is reflected by the earth’s surface
- About 1,366 watts per square meter of energy reach the earth’s atmosphere. Depending on the part of the world you live in, about 1,000 watts per square meter reaches the ground per hour
- The Sun is a Star!
Solar Power in Asia is Experiencing a Big Problem with Cost Spikes & Declines
Solar power is the most renewable energy source. But, there are still some problems with solar power in Asia. There are many challenges like high costs, low efficiency, and limited resources. These include land, water, and materials to build solar panels and to generate electricity from the sun.
The cost of solar power has been on a steady decline in the Asia-Pacific region for a while now. The price of solar power has dropped by over 20% in the past two years. However, this is not enough to make up for the declining installed capacity and the diminishing use of solar power in Asia.
The policies and policies that are in place for solar power are not keeping pace with the increasing costs of solar panels. This is causing significant losses at the end of every year. Fossil fuels like coal and oil are still used which causes much more pollution than anything from renewable sources of energy such as solar. This leads to a huge problem at hand for Asia, where its primary source of energy, coal has been declining rapidly over the years. Over 50% of Asia’s annual electricity consumption comes from coal, which is a very dangerous source as it can cause global warming and climate change issues if left.
Solar Power Has the Highest Potential for Impacting the Environment & Society of All Countries Around the World
Solar power production is one of the most promising renewable energy sources. It provides an enormous amount of clean energy for the entire world. However, to achieve its full potential, solar power needs to be deployed in all countries around the world.
Since solar panels are currently concentrated by countries that have wealthier economies and higher average incomes, there is a high chance that solar power will fail to reach its true potential in these countries because of their limited production capacity. This means that they will not be able to generate enough clean energy for the whole world to reduce their pollution levels drastically or even become self-sufficient in terms of energy generation.
Solar panels are also vulnerable to damage due to high temperatures and low humidity so they cannot be used everywhere without special precautions.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this calms any concerns that you may have about using solar panels or solar energy – the Sun produces more than enough energy, we just have to utilize it.
