Solar Energy
Where Does Solar Energy Come From?
Author: Koz Huseyin
Solar energy is making a big impact today. In the world we live, we have put major strain on natural resources. But, there is a renewable energy source, which is becoming a viable source to meet the needs of humanity, it is called solar energy. But, where does solar energy come from?
Imagine a home that is powered by a residential solar energy system. This home has electric 24 hours a day. You could watch TV all day, keep all the lights on, and not have to worry about an electric bill! So, how does this work? Where does solar energy come from?
In discovering where does solar energy come from, let us consider that we are in that solar powered home. Imagine for a moment that you want to watch TV. You press the televisions power button. Instantly like magic the TV comes to life. It comes on exactly as it would in a home powered by conventionally produced energy.
This energy is in the form of electric. It doesn’t matter whether it is from solar power, fossil fuels or even nuclear power. It is all the same – electric. The electric in residential solar energy systems doesn’t come from an external power station situated on Earth though. It gets more interesting!
The electric had to come from somewhere, and as we trace back, we find that the electric in the TV came from batteries. These are loads of batteries that hold onto this solar power, which we will come to in a moment.
A battery is like a cupboard. It holds things; most importantly it holds energy in the form of electric. This is important as we will see in a moment, as this source is not a 24 hour power, so we need a way to store it. Batteries make this possible, but where did this solar energy come from?
As we travel further, perhaps to the roof of the residential solar energy powered home or even somewhere else on the property, we will find solar panels. Solar panels are amazing gadgets, as they do something amazing.
Solar panels have a big area. They convert something into electric. But, how did they do this? Light is needed. And solar panels ingeniously convert light into electric. This light comes from a very big power station. In the case of Earth, this power is from our very own Sun.
The Sun is like a humongous power station that constantly does a reaction that lets out light. This light beams to Earth, and a solar powered home can make use of this to create electric around the home. It is truly marvelous, and is going to the basics that most of life on Earth uses – that is to utilize the power of the Sun. As plants do.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/where-does-solar-energy-come-from-494616.html
About the Author
One day all homes will utilize alternative energy such as solar power in one form or another. Take a sneak peak, and see how residential solar energy systems can even make you money by visiting.
November 30, -0001
12:00 am
In order to figure out how much “load” your house is going to need, you’ll need to add up all the projected electrical use that your future home will consume. You’ll need to add up things like the fridge, washer, dryer, dishwasher, water heater (could be solar), TV, computer(s), all other misc electronic stuff will really suck up the power. Don’t forget about the lights-think LED or compact flourescent. Also-think about adding more insulation than that which is required by your local building codes. A high-effeciency HVAC system will also help curb the electrical usage.
You might also want to check out…
http://www.greenhomeguide.org/
November 30, -0001
12:00 am
As a former Californian I have looked into this and found the only help is after the fact. There are rebates, and tax breaks once you have a system installed and running. If you produce any excess power, you can go out and watch your meter spin backwards! And by law, the power companies must buy all the excess you can produce. Now That’s pretty cool
November 30, -0001
12:00 am
The most efficient angle for transfer of solar energy is 90 degrees so there is minimal immediate loss of energy to reflection. The further away the angle of the incoming rays of light from a line perpendicular to the surface of the collector, the more reflection of the light there will be and the less energy will be collected (comparatively).
November 30, -0001
12:00 am
Solar energy is used as follows:
It heats and lights the earth, without it we would all die on a very cold rock with no plant life.
Photo voltaic cells can collect solar energy and produce an electric current.
Solar collectors, usually roof mounted, are used domestically to heat water in homes.
Some desert areas use an array of mirrors to heat water in a central tower to produce steam to turn a generator and produce electricity.
November 30, -0001
12:00 am
If your goal is to save money, it will be hard to do that with solar electricity. You can come out ahead under some circumstances, but powering a refrigerator and a fan is an unlikely one. However, if your goal is to learn about this kind of setup, you could get a kit from (say) Harbor Freight for a few hundred dollars, which will (barely) charge a car battery over a period of a couple weeks. The energy you collect could power a fan for several hours.
You could also learn about solar electricity just by searching the web. That way, you don’t need to spend any money at all. Our solar setup is documented at
http://www.angelfire.com/ca2/roderick/solar/photovoltaic.html
That said, there are ways you can save money on energy. A solar hot water heater usually pays for itself over time, depending on where you live. You can buy a kit to retrofit your existing water heater for perhaps $2000 or so.
Also, if your refrigerator is old, just changing to a new, extremely efficient model can save 1/3, maybe even 2/3 of the energy.
October 3, 2006
2:02 pm
solar energy?
anyone know any state grants or home loans for home solar energy for southern california. thank you
February 7, 2008
1:09 pm
Solar Energy?
Me and my husband is planning to build a new home in Austin TX and we wanted to be 100 free from electric bill using the sun energy. Anybody who have knowledge about PV, Solar Panel please I need your help.
Project Plan: 2500 sqm floor plan
5 bedrooms
What type of PV or Solar Panel Cell we need?
How much do you think it will cost?
Do you know an architect or builder who provide custom plan
Do you know somebody from Austin is using Solar Panel
Do you know local manufacturer that we can contact with?
XoXo
Cookie
February 27, 2008
1:14 am
Solar energy?
How does the angle the light makes (Ex. the angle of the sun’s rays) with the surface affect solar energy?
here the experiment
The inside of a shoe box was insulated using Styrofoam and a thermometer was placed through a hole inside the box. Two absorbing surfaces were made from aluminum foil. The upper surface of one sheet was painted black and the other left shiny. The following tests were then carried out.
A sheet of shiny aluminum was placed in the bottom of the box. The top of the box was covered with glass and the temperature of the air inside the box was recorded. The lamp was then turned on and the temperature was recorded after 3 minute.
The procedure was repeated, this time using the blackened aluminum as the absorbing surface. Three set of data were collected. One test was done with the glass cover, one without the glass cover and the third with a glass cover but at an angle of 45º.
May 20, 2008
9:21 am
SOlar Energy?
3 Examples of how solar energy is used.
June 17, 2008
11:09 am
Solar energy- does anyone know of a DIY way to make a solar collector and transfer that energy to batteries?
I would like to learn about solar energy and how I can make some panels for my home, of course with in a reasonable budget. My goal is to be able to run a refrigerator and fan off of battery. Any ideas out there?