CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
(CCRES)
Solar Energy
Sun
has been producing energy in the form of radiations since billions of years
without taking any rest. The energy obtained from radiations of the sun is
called as solar energy. We know plants absorb energy from the sun by the
process called photosynthesis. The humans beings and animals eat plants, thus
directly or indirectly all the plants, animals and human beings are dependent
on the sun. Human beings have learned to extract the energy from solar
radiations and use it for various purposes.
Solar
energy can be converted into heat and electricity. The British astronomer John
Herschel is considered to be the first person in modern days to utilize solar
energy. In the period of 1830s, on his expedition to Africa, he used solar
energy to cook food. Since then there have been lots of developments in the
field of solar energy.
The
importance of solar energy has been understood since ages. Considering the fact
that human life is crucially dependent on the energy emitted by sun, sun is
considered to be the God in many religions. In Hindu mythology Sun God is
considered to be the sources of energy and wisdom, which is always on the move
to spread its energies and knowledge. The main deity in Egyptian mythology is
sun god named Ra, who was also the first king. In Greek mythology, Helios is
considered to be the sun god, who moves on the chariot throughout the world to
illuminate it and spread the knowledge. Sun is also important part of many
other mythologies and religions.
In
which Places is Solar Energy most abundant?
Solar
energy is the most promising energy with the potential for meeting all our
future energy requirements. The main benefit of the solar energy is that it is
available in all parts of the world. The quantity of solar energy is so huge
that it is capable of providing many times the energy currently demanded
throughout the world. Solar energy is being used for number of applications in
countries like US, China, India, and many others.
The
only problem with solar energy is that it is not available uniformly during all
the hours of the day and all the days of the year. However, when supplemented
with the other energies like thermal, and hydroelectric, solar energy can
effectively meet our long-term requirements with little dependence on fossil
fuels.
Applications
of Solar Energy
Some of the common applications
of solar energy are:
1) Solar water heaters: The solar water heaters comprise of the solar collectors that
absorb solar energy which is use to heat water. The hot water can be used for
various domestic and industrial purposes, in bathrooms, homes and swimming
pools.
2) Producing heating effect: The solar energy can also be used for heating of the rooms
during winter seasons.
3) Cooking food: Cooking food is one of earliest applications of the solar
energy. Solar cookers are available in different shapes and sizes with
different types of solar collectors. The most commonly used type of solar
cooker consists of box inside which the raw food to be cooked it kept. At the
top there is a reflective mirror on which the solar rays are directed. The
solar rays get reflected on the utensil in which the food is kept. Due to
concentrated solar rays, the food gets heated and cooked.
4) Photovoltaic (PV) cells: PV cells are the devices that convert solar energy directly into
electricity, which can be used for running of number of appliances like
calculators, mobiles, lanterns, street lights etc. The electricity generated
from the PV cells can be stored in battery, which can be utilized for lighting
the home and also running the cars. In the solar power plants large numbers of
solar panels are spread over big area spread across several acres. The solar
energy collected by the panels is transmitted to the PV cells that convert it
into electricity.
5) Solar thermal power plants: The working of solar power plants is similar to thermal power
plants. In these plants instead of coal, solar energy is used to convert water
into steam, which drives the turbines that eventually produce electricity. At
the end of 2008 there were nine solar thermal power plants operating in US.
Benefits
and Limitations of Solar Energy
There are number of benefits of
solar energy including:
1) Solar energy is available abundantly and free of cost in many
parts of the world.
2) Solar energy is considered to be clean and green energy since it
does not produce any environmental pollution like carbon dioxide and greenhouse
gases.
3) The equipment required to collect solar energy can be kept at
suitable locations in the campus of the building without affecting its
aesthetics or surrounding atmosphere.
However, there are some
limitations to solar power most notably:
1) The solar energy is not available in uniform quantity. The
intensity of solar radiations changes during different hours of day and various
days of the year, different climatic conditions and at different locations of
the place. At times large amount of energy may be available, but at other times
the available energy may be insufficient to meet the demands.
2) Large solar collectors are required to collect the solar energy
of required quantity, which occupy large space inside the building.
CCRES
special thanks to
Escapeartist, Inc
CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
(CCRES)
