What is Solar Energy?
We all know that the price of electricity, oil, natural gas, wood and other energetics are constantly rising. On that base we should ask ourselves can our house budget stand with so many expenses. Each investment needs some amount of money but still this is not the end and despite investing every day by day or every year by year we pay for electricity, natural gas, wood, etc.
Of course even with solar systems we have to do some investment, yet it is minimal compared to others. How? So all investments are at the beginning with the installation of the solar system and everything ends here. We use in the next 20, 30, 50 years or better forever at no cost.
Every hour from the sun reaches enough energy to satisfy our global energy needs for a full year. Solar energy is produced through the appropriate technology with the utilization of the energy of the sun. Today, the world is used slightly less than 0.1% of the solar energy to meet global energy hunger.
Solar thermal energy is produced by the effect of sunlight. They emit some radiation that reaches the Earth’s surface. These rays can be used for heating, using thermal collectors, or for the production of electricity by means of photovoltaic modules (active way of using solar energy).
This kind of energy can also be used in passive mode, i.e. without mechanical system as an intermediary.
In essence, with the collection of solar radiation in an appropriate way, we can get heat, electricity and lighting. Heat is produced by using thermal collectors and electricity with the help of so-called photovoltaic modules. The two processes are quite different in terms of technology and also in terms of their application.
Many people are familiar with photovoltaic cells – popularly known as solar panels, which today are mounted on the spacecraft’s, the roofs of many buildings and small calculators. The principle of operation is simple – cells have semiconductor in them, and when they are warmed by sun, they emit electrons and those electrons than make electricity.
On large scale, there are whole plants that generate electricity using solar energy. They can use different techniques for getting electricity. In some solar energy is used as a heat source to heat the water to steam, which in turn produces electricity – similar to coal in power plant or a nuclear power plant.
There are other techniques utilizing solar energy. Movable mirrors focus sunlight to collected tower where it is mounted receiver. It melts salt which in turn on the generator.
Passive solar technologies are setting up water tanks on the roof to supply the house with hot water, special materials that absorb solar energy in the form of heat and at night heat the rooms.
Solar energy is an inexhaustible source of energy, and it has no pollution and no noise. This technology is very diverse. For example, solar panels make electricity for satellites orbiting the Earth.
This is an environmentally friendly source of energy (it does not pollute the environment), inexhaustible and free. In addition, it contributes to sustainable development and improving our standard of living, and represents another option in terms of the use of fossil fuels that pollutes the air and is limited.
