Friday, January 8, 2010

Dummies Guide on Solar Power

Most of us have heard that governments worldwide are trying to agree to reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere below certain levels. This is actually part of the drive to use renewable energy, moving away from fossil fuels and using the sun and wind to harness electricity. But the main question is how does solar energy work? How do we convert sun beams into energy?

Most people know that there are two components in this equation, the sun and a solar panel but less people actually know the process involved in creating electricity from the sun. Let's try to explain in simple terms how this process works. First we need to differentiate between Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic. Both of these methods make use of the sun and a solar panel.

Solar Thermal.

Solar Thermal is the process where the energy of the sun is used directly to generate heat. Typically this will be where we capture the heat of the sun through the solar panel and transfer this heat to water. Solar geysers use this method in one way or another to heat up water for human consumption. The panels normally have pipes running through the solar panel which is called thermal collectors and the water is continuously circulated through this tubing. Another method is also used where anti freeze is run through the pipes and the heat is then transferred to the water which is in a separate tank. As soon as the antifreeze are pumped through the water tank the heat are transferred to the water in the tank. It is important to notice that these solar panels should be placed in such an angle to get the most sun in order to be efficient. Take care however as the water heated up using this method can be scalding hot.

Photovoltaic.

This method uses the suns light and not the warmth of the sun as in the Solar Thermal method. The smallest segment of a solar panel is a cell made of silicon material with certain chemical qualities due to the nature of the silicon material. A lot of these cells will then form a solar panel. When these silicon cells capture the light of the sun a chemical reaction takes place that convert this light into electricity. Now, one cell only supplies a minute amount of electricity and therefore a substantial amount of solar panels are needed to have a significant impact. Furthermore the electricity created in this manner is called direct current and not useable in normal household or for most common purposes. Transferring this direct power however through an inverter changes it into alternating current which can be used in normal circumstances.



Autor: Johann Du Plessis

This is a very basic explanation of how solar power work and how electricity is generated. It is however possible to build your own solar panels and save substantial amounts of money on your electricity bill. Please visit http://www.squidoo.com/green-power-easy to be able to convert your home to alternative methods of energy.


Added: January 8, 2010
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

1 Comment:

Unknown said...

Excellent and helpful post… I am so glad to left comment on this.
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