Solar Energy Meaning
Solar radiation from the sun that is capable of producing heat, causing a chemical reaction, and producing electricity is called Solar Energy. It is the most powerful and vast source of Energy. The total Solar Energy incident on the earth's surface is enormously greater than the world's current and future Energy requirements. It has the potential to satisfy all future Energy needs if it is properly harnessed. Therefore, Solar Energy is used to generate electricity in the present day. Solar Energy is expected to be the most attractive renewable Energy source. Solar Energy has an inexhaustible supply and it is non-polluting as in the non-renewable sources like coal, natural gas, and petroleum.
Formation of Solar Energy
There is a particular process of producing electricity from Solar Energy. To generate Solar electricity, photovoltaic cells are used. When light strikes on these cells, they generate a small electric voltage. The photovoltaic cells are constructed using metal and semiconductors or two semiconductors. The electric voltage generates when the light strikes the junction of the metal and the semiconductor or two semiconductors. One photovoltaic cell can produce about two watts of power. In Solar Energy plants, many photovoltaic cells are used to generate Solar power. A large number of cells are connected in a panel. From a Solar panel, hundreds of thousands of kilowatts of power are generated. Thus, Solar Energy is converted into electricity using a huge number of photovoltaic cells.
Solar Energy Information
The sun is a very powerful Energy source, and the sunlight is the largest source of Energy received by the earth till now. But due to the huge radial spreading of the radiations from the distant sun, the intensity of the sunlight at the earth's surface is quite low. Moreover, the earth's atmosphere and clouds add to the loss of intensity of sunlight. 50% visible light, 45% of infrared radiation, and small amounts of ultraviolet and other forms of electromagnetic radiations are present in the sunlight, which reaches the earth’s surface. Earth receives 200,000 times of the world's total daily electric generating capacity in the form of Solar Energy. Although Solar Energy is free, the huge costs of its collection, conversion, and storage of Energy make it difficult to use properly. Solar radiation can also be converted into thermal Energy or electrical Energy.
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Advantages of Solar Energy
Now, we are going to discuss the advantages of generating and using Solar electricity.
Solar Energy is the cleanest form of Energy as it is non-polluting and there are no emissions of carbon-dioxide like other renewable Energy sources like coal, natural gas, etc.
Solar Energy is the amplest amount of Energy that is left on earth as long as the sun exists and it is a renewable source of Energy.
Solar Energy can be stored in batteries and can be changed in other forms like thermal and electrical Energy. It can be used in several ways and it is very reliable.
It also helps in the reduction of utility costs.
Solar Energy is free and can be used by anyone who can trap Solar radiations with the necessary technologies.
Disadvantages of Solar Energy
There are some drawbacks of using Solar electricity, which are-
Due to low Solar radiations on winters and cloudy days, the production of Solar Energy is also less.
The initialization and installation costs of the materials required to harness the Solar radiations to get Solar Energy are also high.
The space required for the materials to harness Solar Energy is large.
Facts about Solar Energy
Now, we are going to discuss some interesting facts about Solar Energy and Solar panels.
Solar Energy is the only source, which causes zero pollution when generating.
The lifetime of a Solar panel can be up to 40 years.
One hour of sunlight is almost equivalent to one year's Energy consumed by the earth.
About 174000 terawatt Energy hit the earth's surface daily as Solar radiation even on cloudy days.
According to the research of 2017, Solar Energy is the cheapest Energy source. According to the research of 2019, Solar Energy is cheaper than fossil fuels.
Each year, Solar Energy saves about 35 tons of carbon dioxide and about 75 million barrels of oil.
What is Solar Energy?
The sun is an incredibly renewable resource that can energize life on earth and provide clean and sustainable Energy to all inhabitants. In fact, the Energy from the sun reaches our planet in an hour more than the world's population consumes in a year. Solar Energy can be converted to electricity by a photovoltaic (PV) module (photo = light, voltage = electricity).
How Does Solar Energy Work and Why Do We Need to Use it?
PV modules absorb sun rays and convert Energy into usable forms of electricity. The sun illuminates the world, making Solar power available everywhere. Since PV can be combined with batteries for Energy storage, the PV system can be isolated from the public power grid, making it more cost effective in remote areas. Since the Solar module has no moving parts, it has low maintenance cost and is very reliable with a long service life of 25 years or more of electrical warranty. Solar power relies on the sun as its fuel source, eliminating the need to drill, refine, or deliver petroleum-based fuel to construction sites. As you can see, Solar Energy has many advantages. The Solar industry is growing. Large-scale planning and installation of PV systems keeps us away from other polluted and unsustainable sources of Energy. As the Solar industry grows, so does the need for skilled workers.
Remote Energy (RE) is a 501 (c) (3) influential organization that trains women and men around the world to harness the power of the sun, clean electricity and be positive for the community. Develop the technical PV design and installation skills needed to make a difference. .. The Engineer Education Program provides the growing workforce with the practical skills needed to become competent and competitive. The Solar Teacher Training Program provides local instructors with the curriculum, mentoring opportunities, and skills needed to meet the training needs of the current region.
Why is it Brighter and Warmer During the Day than at Night?
The answer is simple: Solar Energy. Solar Energy is simply the Energy from the sun that comes from the sun. People can use the Energy of the sun in different ways:-
A Solar cell is a simple cell that can convert sun rays into electricity.
Solar Energy that uses Solar heat to generate hot water and steam.
Passive Solar Heating is as easy as glittering the sun through a window to heat the interior of a building.
Do You have a Solar Calculator or a Solar Clock?
These items are powered by Solar cells. Solar cells absorb light and convert it directly into electricity. A Solar panel is made up of a number of Solar cells. You may have seen parking lots for Solar panels, electronic traffic signs, or power lights in homes. People who have Solar panels in their homes produce some of their own electricity, so they buy less electricity from utilities. With enough Solar panels, you may be able to generate more power than you need. In some states, this means that you can move the meter in the opposite direction to share the extra power with others in the community. The power company will eventually pay you!
How it Works
The numbers in the figure correspond to the steps on the page.
Sun rays hit the surface of the Solar cell.
A material called a semiconductor converts light into electricity.
Solar Heat Technology
Another way to utilize Solar Energy is to collect the heat of the sun. Solar thermal power plants can use the heat of the sun to generate steam and use it to generate electricity. Small-scale thermal Solar panels can heat water in houses, buildings, and pools.
How it Works
Mirrors and reflectors focus the sun's rays to heat a special liquid.
The heat of this liquid cause’s water to boil and generate steam.
Steam is used to power a turbine that is connected to an electric generator.
The steam cools and condenses back into water, which is recycled and reheated back into steam.
Passive Solar Heating
Have you ever noticed that the sun rays coming in through the windows warms your house on a cold day? Then we saw how passive Solar Heating works! People can design or remodel buildings to take advantage of the warmth of the winter sun. Facing south (the most sunny side north of the equator), it is convenient to have large windows that are not covered by other buildings or trees. In the summer, when people need to cool their homes rather than warm them, good designs frequently include overhangs, retractable awnings, or blinds that screen the sun.
FAQs on Solar Energy
1. What is solar energy in the context of Physics?
Solar energy is the electromagnetic radiation, including light and heat, emitted by the Sun. In Physics, it is understood as a vast and powerful source of energy that reaches Earth and can be converted into other forms, such as thermal energy or electrical energy, using specific technologies.
2. What are the main advantages and disadvantages of using solar energy?
Solar energy has several key benefits and drawbacks.
Advantages include:
- It is a completely renewable resource that will not run out for billions of years.
- It is a clean energy source, producing no greenhouse gas emissions during operation.
- It can reduce electricity bills and has low maintenance costs for solar panels.
- The initial cost of purchasing and installing solar panels is high.
- Energy generation is weather-dependent and is reduced on cloudy days or at night.
- It requires a significant amount of space to install enough panels for large-scale power generation.
3. How is electricity generated from solar energy using photovoltaic cells?
Electricity is generated from sunlight through a process called the photovoltaic effect. This occurs inside a photovoltaic (PV) cell, which is made of semiconductor materials. When sunlight strikes the cell, it energises electrons, causing them to flow and create a direct electric current (DC). A single cell produces a small amount of power, so multiple cells are connected to form a solar panel to generate a usable amount of electricity.
4. What are some common real-world examples of solar energy use?
Solar energy is used in many applications in our daily lives. Common examples include:
- Rooftop solar panels that generate electricity for homes and buildings.
- Solar water heaters that use the sun's heat to provide hot water.
- Outdoor lighting systems, like solar-powered street lights and garden lights.
- Small electronic devices such as solar-powered calculators and battery chargers.
- Large-scale solar farms that supply electricity to the power grid.
5. What is the difference between active and passive solar energy technologies?
The main difference lies in how they capture and distribute solar energy. Active solar technology uses mechanical or electrical equipment, such as photovoltaic panels or pumps for solar thermal systems, to convert sunlight into usable energy. In contrast, passive solar technology involves designing buildings to naturally collect, store, and distribute the sun's heat without any external devices, for example, by using large south-facing windows to warm a room in winter.
6. Why is solar energy considered a 'clean' and 'renewable' source?
Solar energy is called 'renewable' because its source, the Sun, is virtually inexhaustible and is expected to produce energy for billions of years. It is considered 'clean' because the process of converting sunlight into electricity using photovoltaic panels creates no air or water pollution and releases no carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases, unlike the burning of fossil fuels like coal and natural gas.
7. How does a solar thermal power plant differ from a standard solar panel (PV) system?
The core difference is the energy conversion method. A photovoltaic (PV) system uses solar cells to directly convert sunlight into electricity. A solar thermal power plant does not generate electricity directly. Instead, it uses a large array of mirrors to concentrate sunlight onto a receiver, heating a fluid to create high-pressure steam. This steam then drives a turbine connected to a generator to produce electricity, much like a conventional power plant.
8. If the Sun is so powerful, why doesn't all its energy reach the Earth's surface?
Although the Sun radiates an immense amount of energy, its intensity is reduced by the time it reaches Earth's surface. This is due to two main reasons: firstly, the energy spreads out over a vast distance as it travels from the Sun. Secondly, the Earth's atmosphere acts as a filter, where clouds, dust, and gases absorb and scatter a significant portion of the incoming solar radiation before it can reach the ground.
9. What are the primary challenges that prevent the widespread, universal adoption of solar energy?
Despite its potential, several challenges hinder the universal adoption of solar energy. The most significant are:
- Intermittency: Solar power generation is inconsistent as it depends on sunlight, making it unavailable at night or on heavily overcast days. This creates a need for reliable and cost-effective energy storage solutions, like batteries.
- High Initial Cost: The upfront investment for installing solar panels and related equipment remains a barrier for many households and businesses.
- Space Requirements: Generating a large amount of power requires a significant land area for the installation of solar farms.
