Solar Power Explained

Solar power can be used either to heat water or, through photovoltaic cells, to generate electricity directly. Many calculators are fitted with small photovoltaic cells, but they can also be used on a much larger scale. Indirect production of electricity from sunlight usually involves concentrated solar power. Mirrors are used to focus the sunlight and heat water in order to run an electricity generator. The heating of water by solar power is also sometimes used to produce hot water for domestic use, rather than for electricity generation.

The sun produces huge amounts of energy. It is the sun that keeps the Earth warm enough to sustain life, and it is sunlight that provides the energy at the base of all food chains. Plants take the energy in sunlight and convert it into growth, and this energy is then passed on to the animals that consume the plants. Every living thing on the planet exists because of the energy provided by the sun. However, very little of the energy that is produced by the sun is actually used by plants. There is a huge amount of energy available that could potentially be used to generate power.

Concentrating solar power uses lenses and mirrors to focus the sunlight and heat water. The mirrors can be arranged in a number of different ways. They have to be angled correctly in order to focus the sunlight on the fluid that is to be heated, which means that they usually need to be able to move as the sun passes overhead. The focused sunlight heats the water or fluid, which produces steam. The stream drives a generator, creating electricity. Concentrating solar power produces the most electricity relative to the amount of land covered of any type of solar power.

Photovoltaic or solar cells can create electricity directly from sunlight. There are a number of different types of photovoltaic cells, which may be used commercially or for domestic electricity production. In some parts of the world, homeowners who install solar panels on their homes can sell any excess electricity that is produced back to the main electricity grid. Photovoltaic cells are also commonly used on satellites and in isolated location such as offshore oil rigs, where it is not possible to use conventional electricity supplies. Photovoltaic cells can be combined with concentrating solar power, with sunlight being focused onto the cells rather than onto a fluid.

Solar power is a clean, renewable source of energy, which has the potential to supply huge amounts of electricity. Solar power can be used on a small scale, in order to supply a single home, but large photovoltaic power stations are increasingly common. One of the arguments that has been used against solar power is that it is an inefficient method of energy production, but the advances in technology have made this an outdated argument. The development and improvement of solar power continues.

One of the newer methods of solar power production is the solar updraft tower. This involves directing warm air out of a greenhouse, where it has been heated by the sun, up into a tower. As it moves through the tower, the hot air drives a turbine to produce electricity. Thermoelectric devices are also being developed that can convert a temperature difference between two areas into electricity.

Solar panels can be much less intrusive than other sources of renewable energy, such as wind turbines, although large photovoltaic and concentrating solar power plants take up a lot of space.

Solar power is an intermittent source of energy. It cannot be produced during the night, and the amount of energy that is available is affected by the weather. The energy that is produced through solar power therefore needs to be stored so that it will be available when the sun is not shining, or supplemented with some other form of energy.

The set up costs for solar power are usually high, although a simple solar heating system can be set up cheaply and easily. In order to produce electricity, however, it is necessary to spend a lot of money on equipment. However, the costs of maintaining the equipment once it has been installed are low.

Solar power holds huge potential for energy production, but it is not the only source of renewable energy. PennEnergy.org provides a useful introduction to the different forms of renewable energy, and it is a good place to learn more about energy production.