The Process and Future of Solar Energy
By Russell Hancock
Our planet receives enough raw energy in the form of sunlight in
sixty minutes to illuminate all of the worlds lights for a full
year. Unfortunately, a very small part of it can be harnessed so
most of the population still gets most of its energy from power
plants that burn fossil fuels. Fortunately for our environment, we
have recently seen an increasing trend in the demand for solar
energy. This is partly due to the fact that solar panels are
becoming cheaper as technology advances.
At the equator, the Sun provides approximately 1000 watts of energy
per square meter on the earths surface. That means that 1 square
meter of each panel can generate approximately 100 GW of raw power
per year. That amount of power is enough to illuminate more than
50,000 houses. The entire area that would need to be covered by
solar panels to power the entire world for a year would be the
equivalent to one percent of the entire space of the Sahara Desert.
The amount of power solar panels can generate on a given day
depends on a few variables like smog, cloudy days, low temperatures
and humidity.
Solar panel farms are a lot like other normal power plants with the
only big difference being that most power plants get their energy
from fossil fuels. And when conventional plants burn fossil fuels,
they generate the by products which are contributing to global
warming. Solar panel farms or solar heat plants (or CSP plants)
absorb the rays of the sun to generate electrical energy.
This process of energy conversion in solar heat plants rather
simple. The panels absorb the rays of the sun, which then shines on
the power receiver. In this receiver, the energy is converted into
steam from the suns rays. The steam is taken to tanks where it will
be used to spin turbines and generate electricity. The process is
clean because it requires no fossil fuels to be burned. It is safe
for the environment and doesn't contribute to global warming like
conventional power plants.
If more solar panel farms are implemented, the demand for oil will
be reduced sharply. Today, there are many households that use solar
panels for energy and more people are adding panels every day. When
this demand for solar energy and other alternatives goes up, fewer
people will use gas and fossil fuels, and the prices for these will
surely drop as well.
If you use solar energy, you may actually be able to use "negative
energy". Because every house is connected to the city's power
system, the extra energy that your panels produce will go back into
the grid and can be consumed by other households. This will result
in you being sent a check by the electric company for the energy
you put back in. Even if you panels are small, you will see a huge
reduction in your bill. These solar panels, aside from being good
for the environment, are good for your pocket!
Even though the initial investment into your solar panel system is
a bit expensive, the panels will undoubtedly pay for themselves in
the long run. Not only do you save money and perhaps even make some
with your panels, you help the environment by reducing greenhouse
gases and emissions. These systems are so durable they have been
known to last years. PV cells are supposed to stay good anywhere
from twenty-five to forty years. Most suppliers of solar panels
have a standard twenty-five year warranty.
Finally, solar panels take minimal maintenance and they can be
placed basically anywhere that gets a good amount of sunlight all
year.
There is no question that alternative energy IS the future and the
future is right now.
You can generate you own energy for a lot less than you think! DIY
Energy features reviews and news on popular Do it Yourself
[http://www.DIY-Energy.org]Alternative Energy Projects.
Learn to build solar panels, and wind powered generators for
a fraction of the cost of an installed system.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Russell_Hancock
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Process-and-Future-of-Solar-Energy&id=1967256
The Next Generation of Solar Cell
Science
By Tina Metcalf
Washington University scientists have measured key processes which could be used in the next generation of solar cells. The work involves the spectroscopic analysis of oxidized multiporphyrin arrays and incontrovertibly proves one thing: these scientists must be really good at Scrabble.
A porphyrin is an organically-based chemical. A "multiporphyrin array" is just a chain of these molecules strung together. It has been found that electrons can be passed down such chains when they're exposed to light, or in other words, sunlight in and electricity out. It turns out there's a big market for stuff like that. In fact, they found that the electrons have a transfer rate of 1.25 Gigahertz, meaning the electron can make over one billion transfers a second.
What does this mean to you? Not very much just yet. But this kind of advance in the basic science is what will make the next generation of solar technology possible. Some people ask what the point in this sort of work is - what's the bottom line? What do we get for our dollar? But if we always acted like that, humans would still be living in caves eating raw meat because it wasn't cost-effective for anyone to try rubbing sticks together. Or food-effective, actually, since that's the only currency we'd have.
Plus this type of research is covered under basic funding for science and education, meaning that there are no dollars dependent on a hard product. When an idea reaches the marketable stage is when that happens, with companies like MIT spinning off technology start-ups to commercialize the scientific breakthroughs. That's where the millions of dollars in capital have to be used, that's where the products that will revolutionize energy will come from - and that's the kind of work that's utterly impossible unless people are doing the basic research.
Cooler Planet is a leading solar resource for connecting consumers and commercial entities with local solar Installers. Cooler Planet's [http://solar.coolerplanet.com/Content/solar-energy-resources.aspx]solar energy resource page contains articles and tools such as our [http://solar.coolerplanet.com/Content/solar-calculator.aspx]solar calculator to help with your solar project.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tina_Metcalf http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Next-Generation-of-Solar-Cell-Science&id=1987755
By Tina Metcalf
Washington University scientists have measured key processes which could be used in the next generation of solar cells. The work involves the spectroscopic analysis of oxidized multiporphyrin arrays and incontrovertibly proves one thing: these scientists must be really good at Scrabble.
A porphyrin is an organically-based chemical. A "multiporphyrin array" is just a chain of these molecules strung together. It has been found that electrons can be passed down such chains when they're exposed to light, or in other words, sunlight in and electricity out. It turns out there's a big market for stuff like that. In fact, they found that the electrons have a transfer rate of 1.25 Gigahertz, meaning the electron can make over one billion transfers a second.
What does this mean to you? Not very much just yet. But this kind of advance in the basic science is what will make the next generation of solar technology possible. Some people ask what the point in this sort of work is - what's the bottom line? What do we get for our dollar? But if we always acted like that, humans would still be living in caves eating raw meat because it wasn't cost-effective for anyone to try rubbing sticks together. Or food-effective, actually, since that's the only currency we'd have.
Plus this type of research is covered under basic funding for science and education, meaning that there are no dollars dependent on a hard product. When an idea reaches the marketable stage is when that happens, with companies like MIT spinning off technology start-ups to commercialize the scientific breakthroughs. That's where the millions of dollars in capital have to be used, that's where the products that will revolutionize energy will come from - and that's the kind of work that's utterly impossible unless people are doing the basic research.
Cooler Planet is a leading solar resource for connecting consumers and commercial entities with local solar Installers. Cooler Planet's [http://solar.coolerplanet.com/Content/solar-energy-resources.aspx]solar energy resource page contains articles and tools such as our [http://solar.coolerplanet.com/Content/solar-calculator.aspx]solar calculator to help with your solar project.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tina_Metcalf http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Next-Generation-of-Solar-Cell-Science&id=1987755
