There is much potential in solar energy as is believed by many experts - there is a list of possibilities for harnessing the sun's energy. The sun naturally heats up our open waters - ponds, rivers, lakes, seas and swimming pools in our gardens. Just as we hang out our laundry when it is warm, it soon dries with the sun's rays. To actually capture the sunlight so that we can make efficient use of this natural source for our energy has been difficult.
Scientists recognise that could be best alternative around to use as a power source. The energy that reaches the earth is heat which we draw from. For millions of years this solar energy has been available and been used as it is safe. By allowing the sun's rays through a magnifying glass, we can light wood and this was found as early as the 7th Century B.C. This type of energy is also renewable and can be concentrated. As we are concerned largely about saving our environment today, experts are at the driving force of pushing this renewable energy source as an alternative so that we can use it worldwide.
In many countries it is already being used. The sun is a good natural heat sources which doesn't need converting nor do we need to control the temperature of it. It does, however need to be collected if it is to be used for electricity, and then converted. Solar energy is widely used in different forms.
One popular used is by solar panels to heat up houses. Experts have unsuccessfully tried to use solar energy in their experiments to power cars, but they haven't quite found the technology yet; so we won't be seeing any solar powered cars in the near future for some time to come. We shall have to wait and see as experts say it won't be long in coming.
Solar power captures the sun's energy first, then changes it so it can be distributed for heating use and ventilation. To use an example, Trombe walls consist of a sun facing wall with a system containing air space or channels between insulated glazing and wall. This area is heated up by the sun which circulates through some vents to be stored as heat, so that at night this heat can be utilised.
Solar power when used as power proves to very efficient and is dense. Facilities for this would be ideal if set up worldwide. After the initial costs of installing such a system, it is maintenance free and the operating costs very reasonable indeed.
Australia has an energy station which is solar powered after spending millions of dollars to set it up. Currently it is able to generate to over 40,000 locations in Victoria, a small town, supply them with this clean electricity. As there are no gas emissions it saves on the environment getting polluted and is energy efficient.
There are now PV (Photovoltaic) Systems now being used as another option for using solar power. 'Photo' refers to light and 'Voltaic' to electricity. The system is hooked up to an electrical grid where it collects the sunlight and converts it to electricity. Any excess is transferred to another power grid, so there is no loss to the excess, making it very cost effective and extremely efficient.
There are PV cells which are set up so that they become a solar panel, and with advanced technology has become much cheaper. There are now many designs to suit the shape of a building so there are no restrictions; a centralised point can be focussed on to harness the sunlight. As efficiency rises, so the cells can decrease in size.
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