Different Types of Solar Power Sources and Their Uses
Generating sufficient power has been one of the consistent preoccupations of human beings. As our lives become more and more complex, we are seeking more power run our personal, home and business endeavors.
Power sources are depleting or renewing. Depleting energy sources are fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas. Renewing power sources are naturally replenishing and include solar energy, wind power, hydropower and geothermal energy.
In a world threatened by high levels of greenhouse gases, the use of renewable energy is advocated for its purity and its friendliness to the environment. Besides, clean energy is cheaper to produce and purchase as compared to dirty energy.
Energy from sunlight can be harnessed in 3 different ways to produce power.
1. Passive Solar Energy
Passive solar energy implies the use of direct sun radiation with no form of manipulation or energy conversion.
Passive solar energy is directly used to heat or cool living spaces. This is done by making particular choices in construction material and in the orientation of buildings to capture or keep away solar radiation.
Heating living spaces by solar energy involves the absorption of sun energy by walls, windows, roofs and floors. Orientation is used to ensure that the energy is retained. This might mean locating larger windows to the south so that the stronger rays of the afternoon sun are easily absorbed into the building.
Cooling involves the use of shading or reflective material to keep away direct sun rays from the living space and maintain its coolness.
2. Photovoltaic Technology
Photovoltaic technology is an active solar power system that involves the direct conversion of solar energy into electricity.
The technology involves the use of PV cells stacked together to create panels, otherwise referred to as models. The panels are placed on surfaces that allow direct sunlight such as house roofs. Alternatively, they may be mounted on stands that allow tapping of direct sunlight.
The photoelectric effect on solar panels converts solar rays into electricity. In other words, the sunlight heating the PV cells is converted to solar power by a silicon semiconductor that connects the series of PV cells in a panel.
Electricity from the photovoltaic effect can directly power electrical appliances, light bulbs or recharge batteries. Photoelectric energy is also used with portable solar panels to charge gadgets like phones and computers, rechargeable flashlights, generators, and mini fridges among others. In the case of solar generators, panels will be used to recharge the generator itself, which stores the energy and can then be used to power appliances and other devices at will. This is particularly useful for nighttime use, when lack of sunlight will make it impossible to generate energy via panels. Some of the best solar powered generators can provide enough power to do everything from charge a phone to power household appliances.
In larger industrial contexts, the photovoltaic effect is used in solar powered transportation on railroads, roads and subways. Mini solar panels are also mounted on public lighting posts to convert solar energy into bulb-lighting electricity.
3. Solar Thermal Energy
Solar thermal technology taps solar radiation to indirectly produce electricity. Solar radiation is harnessed and used to heat a fluid that could be water, oil or nitrogen. The heated fluid produces steam that propels a generator to produce electricity.
Solar thermal energy is widely used to heat water for home use or in swimming pools. The energy is also commonly used to heat living space.
Conclusion
While solar energy comes from the one source that is the sun, tapping it for daily power needs can be done passively to heat living space or actively to directly produce electricity using solar panels or produce heat that is converted to electricity by a steam-propelled generator. All these methods provide a world struggling with the greenhouse effect with clean and cheaper renewable energy.
