Introductioin to Solar Power

View PDF | Print View
by: NeilMcCarry | Total views: 16 | Word Count: 413

Solar powered energy is the conversion of light from the sun into electricity, either directly by the use of photovoltaics (PV), or indirectly by making use of concentrated solar power (CSP). CSP systems use a mirror or lense system and tracking systems to focus a large area of light into a small beam. PV transforms light into electric current using the photoelectric effect.

Commercial CSP plants were first developed back in the 1980s, and the 354 MW SEGS CSP installation is the largest solar power plant in the world and is located in the Mojave Desert of California. Other large CSP plants include the Solnova Solar Power Station (150 MW) and the Andasol solar power station (100 MW), both in Spain. The 97 MW Sarnia Photovoltaic Power Plant in Canada, is the world’s largest photovoltaic plant.

Despite Scotland being a fairless gloomy and dark country, solar thermal panels are still a worthwhile investment as they are still more than able to create hot water even in traditional Scottish weather.

Solar panel technology was originally created around 40 years ago and is now well-established ,with several installers set up up and down Scotland, although AES Solar based in Forres (who provided the panels for the Scottish Parliament building) are Scotland's only manufacturer.

Since the introduction of government grants for solar panels and Feed-in tariffs there has been a growth in the volume of installed photovoltaic (PV) panels, which generate electricity. Not too long ago in 2004, the largest PV set up in Scotland was a 21 kWp system at the Sir E. Scott secondary school in Tarbert, on the Isle of Harris although larger scale systems have been built since then. The UK's practicable resource is estimated at 7.2 TWh per annum, which in the Scottish context is the approximate equivalent of 70 MW or less of installed capacity.

This "road energy system" uses water pipes sunk beneath a layer of tarmac. During the summer months, the dark coloured tarmac gets warmed up by the sun which then heats the water in the pipes. This water can be kept in an underground aquifer and the heat extracted in winter by using a heat pump. The system can be used to warm or cool down roads, keeping them free of ice and snow as well as, in some cases preventing the road surface from becoming softened from overheating. Also, in some cases, the stored energy could be used for cooling commercial or domestic buildings.

About the Author

IDES Energy Solutions are the leading installers of solar panels in Scotland and have a complete info and fitting service from solar panel FAQ's to home energy efficiency systems.

Comments

Add Comment