Solar energy is power that comes from the sun. Solar energy is a great source of renewable energy. It does not emit greenhouse gases. In most places around the world, the sun consistently shows up every day.
How does solar power work? Solar energy can be harnessed and collected. As the sun shines down, the silicon photovoltaic solar cells absorb the solar energy. Silicon is a conductive element that can absorb and convert the sun's energy.
How else can solar power work? When people think about solar power, most often they think about solar panels. But actually, solar energy can be several different things. Some houses have glass walls around the outside of the house so that sunlight can infiltrate through. These houses often have special floors that absorb the sun's heat and store it. This thermal energy is used later in the day when it is cooler. This heat gets released as heating for the house.
Some other technologies focus the sunlight in one particular area. The concentrated energy is used to heat a liquid, which produces electricity. Sometimes oil or molten salt is used in this way.
Solar power sounds like a great way to produce energy. But what are the downsides of solar power? How come we don't see it everywhere? The biggest drawback that discourages many people from using solar energy on their homes is that the technology is very expensive. There are a lot of soft costs associated with installing solar panels. This can include getting the permits required to start the project.
However, although the initial cost of buying solar panels and installing the system in a house is expensive, the money saved in electricity bills can make up the difference in five to ten years. Plus, some countries will offer incentives and rebates for installing solar panels.
A more viable option might be to deploy community solar farms. This involves creating a large solar plant, and the energy is shared by more than one household. This way more people can use solar energy without all of the initial costs. There's also no need to install solar panels on every rooftop.
If there is a power outage in the city, the electricity generated cannot be used. That's because there are workers trying to restore the power. If the power is kept on, it could be dangerous to the workers. So energy generated by solar power cannot be used as a backup.
Why should we use solar power? Solar energy is a silent and versatile energy source. It can generate energy as far away as on a satellite in space, and as close as in our homes and our neighbourhoods. With the right storage technology, solar power can be used to provide energy all day long and all year long.
Once the solar panels are installed, there is very little maintenance required. Only the inverter needs to be replaced every 10 years or so. That's because this is the part that changes solar energy into electricity and heat.
Just like wind power, solar power does not use any fossil fuels. In fact, many people think that solar power is even better because there are no moving parts. More and more people are considering solar panels when renovating their homes. Aside from helping to create clean energy, it also spurs economic growth and creates jobs.
But you don't need solar panels to use the sun's energy. Try making a sun oven and cooking something with the power of the sun!