Clean And Unlimited Power Is The Assurance Of Solar Energy.
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by: MylesMinckler | Total views: 27 | Word Count: 469
With the introduction of solar energy in the recent decades we are now approaching an era when it will be utilized universally. The two methods by which solar power is harnessed which are through photovoltaics (or PV) and through concentrated solar power (or CSP). PV is often used in devices like clocks, calculators and satellites while CSP is often used to supply turbines with intense heat which is eventually converted into electricity through generators.
Current methods of converting solar energy to usable electricity rely on photovoltaics and on concentrated solar power. Photovoltaic cells, or solar cells, is the more common technology and is the focus of more research both in the industry and in the academe.
The use of solar power for the production of electricity had its first practical use in recharging batteries used in the first generation of satellites orbiting the earth. Most of us have seen pictures of satellites with wing like appendages that are actually solar panels. During the 1970s up to the 1990s, solar cells were not efficient converters of solar power to electricity. With a conversion efficiency of less than 10 percent, electricity generation from solar cells was expensive unreliable.
About two decades ago, solar cells were only used to do small things like power up calculators. But today, the PV cells are now utilized to generate electricity enough to run households and offices. This means that the energy conversion ration and efficiency is much higher than it used to be. About twenty-four percent of energy that is found in the sun's rays is made into electricity with these solar cells and it boasts a 10 percent conversion efficiency.
Raw electricity outputted by solar panels is not directly usable. The direct current produced by the panels has to be converted to alternating current using inverters. Solar panels only work during daytime. Therefore there is a need to store the electricity so that it becomes available for 24 hours.
Adopting solar energy to become a major source of energy is costly, which is one of the biggest hindrances that need to be overcome. Per watt, solar energy that is converted into electricity can cost from seven to ten dollars as studied in 2006. More traditional means of generating electricity is cheaper, but it does not compare to the cleaner and more renewable source that solar power offers.
Daily, sunlight travels to the earth and can reach up to energy proportions measuring to 90 petawatts. In one day a human can use up to 15 terawatts in energy consumption. 90 petawatts is roughly 15 terawatts times 6,000!
Solar towers are a promising technology which will make idle desert lands productive. The Sahara and Gobi Deserts could be future sites of concentrated solar power plants generating clean electricity. Countries like Spain and Germany are the current leaders in production of electricity via CSP.
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