One of the most commonly asked questions in the field of energy and electricity management is how does solar energy work. We have to consider that the sun is one of the most plentiful forms of power that we could utilize, but only a handful of people are relying on it.
Since the sun touches the entire planet in cycles of 12 hours, energy could be easily derived to support many of our every day functions. It is such a waste of money since people have disregarded this as a regular, renewable source of power and electricity.
Here are some of the significant scientific processes involved in solar energy conversion and utilization:
- Solar energy contains a number of molecules including electrons and protons which are essential in the life cycles found in plants, animals, weather and biological processes. In the case of utilizing solar power as an energy source, electrons are the ones which are used for electricity.
- Electrons can be gathered and manipulated with the use of materials which can be purchased at any utilities store. Basically, sunlight can be quickly transformed to electricity due to the fact that the molecule it contains is full of energy.
- Electrons move at a very fast rate, which is an advantage. It can be isolated easily due to its fast movement.
- The solar plates coupled with a photovoltaic cell can isolate the electrons so they can be utilized as an energy source.
- The first stage is the absorption of the molecules through the solar plates. The solar plates have the ability to assemble concentrated electrons and channel them to the semiconductor plates.
- Once the electrons have been gathered, their transport to the battery is the next stage. The electrons go through a series of filters known as the converter and semiconductor wires and plates.
- This is to assure that the electricity produced is composed of pure electrons. Having protons mixed in the procedure would only cause power interruption. The protons are absorbed and disposed through an alternate exhaust, which excretes the molecules away from the battery connection.
- The final process to utilize electricity is the storage in the batteries. Usually, a set of 10 batteries are used to allow a large amount of electricity to be stored. At this point, what are left are pure electrons, which are considered the source for electrical power that is used by electrical gadgets and appliances.
The process of converting sun light into electrical energy is a very innovative process, which could save people a lot of money. Power plants and fossil fuels require a lot of resources to process and cause massive pollution. This is very harmful in the long-term consideration of the condition of the planet.
Experts are continually formulating new scientific strategies on how to utilize the sun as an energy source. Scientific institutions regarding energy manipulation have a lot of guidelines regarding the question how does solar energy work.
Solar refers to energy that is collected from the sun. The sun and wind are renewable energy sources that do not produce green house gases that contribute to global warming. Once the components needed to collect the sun's energy are assembled, solar energy is a free and non-polluting source of power. Currently, there are both State and Federal rebate programs that can lower the total installation cost by more than 1/2. For a typical home there are basically three types of solar energy systems commonly used. Passive solar energy, photovoltaic (PV) solar energy, and solar domestic hot water systems. Wind turbines or generators are also becoming very common for suitable sites.
Passive solar energy utilizes the sun's energy to heat, cool, and light a building without any moving parts. There are not any mechanical or electrical components of a passive solar system. Basically all houses are solar. The question is how does your house utilize the available energy from the sun? All home designs and types of construction can benefit from basic passive solar energy principles. Site orientation, properly sized roof overhangs, and window size and location are simple design factors that can greatly affect a homes heating and cooling bill. A home situated with its long axis running east and west can benefit the most from passive solar.
The ideal orientation for a solar house is with its long axis perpendicular to true south. Within 20 degrees of true south, the cost in solar gain is minimal, but as the orientation shifts more drastically, the house will significantly lose solar benefits.
Roof overhangs on the south of a building can keep the summer sun out and allow the winter sun in. Too many windows on the west side are hard to shade from the intense western sun without providing large covered porches or some other means to block the hot afternoon sun. A balance must be struck between the amounts of window glazing, your views, and the additional heating or cooling windows can provide. Properly designed roof overhangs help with cooling in the summer and heating in the winter.
Photovoltaic (PV) solar systems utilize the sun's energy to produce electricity for your home or recreational vehicle (RV). The photovoltaic process is a direct conversion of sunlight into DC electricity. That DC electricity can be used directly to power appliances and can be stored in batteries for later use. By installing an inverter on a PV system the DC electricity can be converted into AC electricity that can be utilized in the home and sent back to the utility company to lower your electric bill. Optimum efficiency from a home's photovoltaic solar system requires that the PV panels be oriented true south and be set at an angle equal to the latitude for the site (for a stationary system). Increased efficiency can be obtained by mounting the panels on a tracking system that follows the sun. This type of system requires motors and moving parts and could require a technician to lower the tilt angle of the panels in the summer and raise the tilt angle of the panels in the winter.
Optimum orientation (azimuth and tilt angle) for stationary (fixed) PV panels in Steamboat Springs, Colorado would face true south (0 degrees azimuth angle) and 40 degrees tilt up from the ground plane. This example shows the PV panels incorporated into the roof. The south facing roof has a 10:12 pitch (great for shedding snow yet very steep for roofers). Mounting brackets can be used to raise PV panels off the roof and set the proper tilt angle.
A home photovoltaic solar system can consist of PV modules, a charge controller, storage batteries, a synchronous inverter, the existing AC load center (panel box), and the main service panel containing the utilities disconnect and meter. Storage batteries are only required if the home is not connected to the grid or if the homeowner desires an additional source of power if the utility grid shuts down.
The best advantage to solar and wind power is that they are renewable energy sources that do not contribute to global warming.
Solar domestic hot water systems are active systems in which water or antifreeze is circulated from a solar collector through a storage reservoir. The water in the reservoir or storage tank is heated by the circulated fluid and reduces the homes gas or electric consumption for water or space heating. Water that is heated by the sun is especially cost effective for spas and swimming pools. Proper care and maintenance of these systems must be utilized in order to prevent leaks and bursting pipes.
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