Emerging Technology in Solar Energy - Research Paper Example

Emerging Technology in Solar Energy When considering renewable energy, Solar power is amongst the most technologically advanced method through which energy is utilized. The finding amongst the paper considers the different methods that are utilized in modern age towards consuming clean energy. Although costly in its effect, it has almost no negative effect on environment. With emerging interest in Solar Power, the technology is used both towards households and industrial use. The early improvement of sun powered advancement started in 1860’s and was determined by the assumptions that natural occurrence of coal will get utilized and will become rare. Nonetheless, improvement of sun oriented innovations stagnated in the early twentieth century notwithstanding the expanding accessibility, economy, and utility of coal and petroleum. Solar Energy Solar energy has been used towards providing heat and light in different parts of the world by using many techniques. These technologies are ever-emerging and are used in variety of methods from producing electricity, thermal energy, architecture, artificial photosynthesis, solar photovoltaic and heating. All these technologies are further divided into the passive or active solar technologies depending on their utilization of sunlight from capturing it to distributing it in certain ways. Active solar procedures incorporate the utilization of photovoltaic boards and thermalcollecting methods to contain the solar energy. Passive solar procedures include turning a structure to the Sun, selecting materials with good warm mass or light scattering properties, and outlining spaces that characteristically circle air. Emerging Technologies in Active Solar Energy By the very essence of the word, Solar, the utilization of Sunlight towards producing electricity through concentrated solar power (CSP) or photovoltaic (PV) is amongst the rapidly growing technology of the time. Both of the technologies use a separate method towards the accumulation of electricity. In Concentrated Solar Power system, the sun beams are collected towards a small or a large area and then focused towards one area where the sunlight is converted into electric current through photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic (PV) emergence in Solar Energy Throughout 1970 and 1983 photovoltaic rose enormously as establishments began to build, however falling oil costs in the early 1980s brought down the development of PV from 1984 to 1996. Due to the supply issues with Natural gas and oil from 1997 onwards, PV innovation has risen in pace which has helped balancing out the development of PV, economically. A worldwide temperature alteration because of common gas and exorbitant oil use has helped the naturalist to help in evaluating better innovative perspectives for Solar Energy. The sort of semiconductor utilized as a part of a photovoltaic cell can influence both the proficiency and creation expenses of the cell. At present, the most widely recognized photovoltaic in business creation today are produced from crystalline silicon. Despite the fact that crystalline silicon photovoltaic are around the most effective photovoltaic, they are likewise substantial, unbendable and unreasonable to generate. As new eras arrive expense impact has gone considerably lower. (Li, Gang et al 868) In the developing engineering of sunlight based vitality, photovoltaic are produced out of mixture of new semiconducting materials, including sun powered inks, sun oriented colors, or conductive plastics. As these materials are lightweight and more flexible, as well as low on production cost towards the generation on the grounds, they might be printed onto adaptable plastics much like daily paper is printed today. Photovoltaic could additionally be dependent upon plans that think daylight onto a little bit of high productivity PV material. Due to smaller area of these materials, these frameworks are starting to become highly practice for the parts of the world with high amount of Sun present during the day. (Li, Gang et al, 864-868) There are many examples of PV based plants that are using new emerging technologies for producing large amounts of electricity. Such example are 500 MW Desert Sunlight Solar Farm in California. The sunlight farm will be utilizing thin-film solar photovoltaic components that are more efficient and economically more substantial and will be used in projects such as 290 MW Agua Caliente Solar Project, 250 MW California Valley Solar Ranch Project and Antelope Valley Solar Ranch 230 MW Solar Project. Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) as emerging solar technology There are many historical references as to when the Concentrated Solar Power was used. To the modern aspect that involves practical uses of CSP, Professor Giovanni Francia during the 1968 designed and established a solar-plant near Genoa. The plant could produce a mere 1MW under the super heating of 500oC. CSP’s high level production began in the 80’s where the Solar Energy Generating Systems, then developed and produced a 354 MW and the world largest solar power plant based on Concentrated Solar Power. CSP is utilized to process power which is additionally called sun powered thermoelectricity that is majorly produced through steam. The concentrated light through extensive mirrors in a concentrated territory is steered to the primary receiver where thermal source is transformed into steam towards utilizing it as an basic power design/sun powered thermoelectricity. The sun powered concentrators utilized within CSP frameworks can regularly additionally be utilized to give mechanical methodology towards warming or cooling, for example, in sun oriented ventilation. (Pitz-Paal 192) There are further four more common methods through which high concentration of heating is achieved to have large thermal energy to run the turbines. These systems of Parabolic trough, Fresnel reflectors, Solar Power tower and Dish stirling are the innovations under the Concentrated Solar Power system. Parabolic Trough: It is a sun oriented heat collector that is straight in one measurement and bended as a parabola in the other two, lined with a cleaned metal mirror. The vitality of daylight which enters the mirror parallel to its plane of symmetry is centered along the central line, where items are situated that are planned to be warmed. Fresnel Reflectors: Direct Fresnel reflectors utilize long, thin sections of mirrors to center daylight onto an altered absorber placed at a typical point of convergence of the reflectors. These mirrors are fit for concentrating the suns vitality to around30 times its typical power. This concentrated vitality is exchanged through the absorber into oil capable thermal fluids. The liquid then experiences a high temperature exchanger to power a steam generator. Instead of customary LFR, the CLFR uses different absorbers inside the region of the mirrors. Solar Tower: The heliostat power tower or solar power tower is much of a powered heater utilizing a tower to get the centered daylight. It utilizes a cluster of level, mobile mirrors called heliostats that center the suns beams upon a gatherer tower, which is the principle center. Concentrated sun power is seen as one reasonable answer for renewable, contamination free vitality. Dish Design: This system uses a large Satellite dish type technology with a parabolic design. The concentration of sunlight strikes on the receiving point that is just above the dish. The received electricity then used towards heating or electricity purposes. By its name, the dish is coupled with a Stirling motor in a Dish-Stirling System; additionally a steam motor is also utilized. It can then be used to be converted towards viable electricity use through generators. (Mancini 151) Smaller, Modern Innovation in Solar Energy As now seen, solar energy innovation is not limited towards just the production of electricity plants but has now discovered many dimensions that are making the end users to be the general public. There are many new innovations that are changing the daily aspects of modern living. From art to architecture, solar power is emerging to new areas which were once unimaginable. 1: Solar Fabric: Sunlight based cell fabric is a fabric with inserted photovoltaic (PV) cells which create power when laid open to light. Customary silicon based sun oriented cells are costly to produce, inflexible and delicate. In spite of the fact that less effective, slight film cells and natural polymer based cells could be transformed rapidly and can be affordable. They are likewise adaptable and are able to be sewed onto fabric. 2: Solar Paint: As photovoltaics design start to emerge the new generation is looking to the systems where they would not at all look like the regular board like solar panels. Now applying nanoparticles of semiconductors mixed in a solution, researches are in the creation towards electronic ink. The particles will be helping in the creation of sun absorbent paints that will be applied to any structures likes regular pain with the added benefit of free electricity. With the high concentration of cross section in quantom dots spread throughout the paint having semiconductor, it will be conceivable to catch almost the all the sunlight that comes in contact. With such a light base of semiconductors that will be acting as paint and absorbers, the heterojunction of these cells give major solutions towards developing inexpensive paints. (Binstock) 3: Solar Windows: Sun based Windows innovation uses a natural sun powered exhibit made out of an arrangement of ultra-little sun oriented cells measuring as little as ¼ the extent of a grain of a rice. As opposed to paying to purchase and introduce separate sunlight based boards, window sun oriented cells might be introduced as traditional window. That would be done with just spending a little extra cost for the sun powered windows versus normal windows. Since sun based boards are fixed to the accessibility of silicon, sun powered windows can likewise spare cash since they are not dependent on silicon, and can be created out of different sorts of economical plastics (Binstock). 4: Solar Vehicles: A sun based vehicle is an electric vehicle fueled totally or fundamentally by immediate sun oriented vitality. Typically, photovoltaic (PV) cells hold in sunlight based boards that charge over the suns straight impact towards the PV cells. Sun based vehicle generally infers that sun powered vitality is utilized to power all or some piece of a vehicles movement. Sun oriented force may be likewise used to give motion to correspondences or controls or other assistant capacities. The configuration of a sun based auto is restricted by the measure of energy data into the vehicle. Sun based autos are fabricated for sun powered auto races or every day use on open roads. Solar autos are regularly fitted with gages and that indicated the level of energy available that be utilization. These monitor not only the availability of the energy but also help in the cars energy consumption, and other parameters. (Carroll 23) In water innovations related to vehicles, there are many examples to which these innovations are currently applied to have better fuel efficiency as well as cost saving features for transporting people and freight. In 2007, as an experiment Sun21 which was powered by solar energy sailed from Seville to Miami and then towards New York. Since then in 2010, a 30 meter long catamaran yacht had 470 square meters of solar panels and is the largest solar powered yacht. It has become relatively popular in sailing methods of vehicle transport as innovations through solar panels have helped. This is due to the fact of their low noise charging of electrical batteries that help in low use of fuel and provide clean energy (BBC). Small Scale solar technology Solar innovation applied to the daily use is now become relatively cost efficient as well as more creative and innovative. Such examples would be: 1: Solar bag pack: The simple idea of charging has been creatively used today help in mobile charging of cell phones, mp3 players by having monocrystalline solar panels on the facing side of the bags. On a regular it can provide upto 120 watt-hours per day. This is useful from daily use to aid equipment, to power laptops, charging emergency lights, cameras etc. Due to their high flexibility and inexpensive batteries and waterproofing they are economical and practical. (Bihn 711) 2: Solar Water Heating: Sunlight based boiling point water frameworks use daylight to hotness water. The most widely recognized sorts of sun powered water warmers are cleared tube collectors (44%) and even plate gatherers (34%) by and large utilized for local heated water; and unglazed plastic collectors (21%) utilized principally to hotness swimming pools. During 2007, the aggregate introduced limit of sun powered boiling hot water frameworks is roughly 154 GW. China aims to have the goal of thermal water energy to have 210 GW by the year 2020. Countries such as Cyprus are the for every capita pioneers in the utilization of sun powered high temp water frameworks with in excess of 90% of homes utilizing them. Conclusion When there are technological innovations that are considered throughout the time towards renewable energy, Solar power leads majorly. Although the higher cost of many production cells are a limitation towards the employment of Solar energy, innovative measures are being taken every day to help people understand the significance of solar power. Solar power innovations have now covered the areas of air-conditioning, ballons, chargers, chimneys, cookers, dryers, lamps, keyboards, inverters, furnace, traffic lights, notebook, calculators, refrigerators, pumps, watches, golf cart and many more and plan to have those cost efficient technologies that are accessible to everyone daily that can add towards protecting the nature for longer years. It is necessary for the future to save the world from global warming effects and towards the daily use of solar energy. As this type of energy when produced on large scale can have equal cost of the daily use alternatives while providing safe and clean energy. With the large amounts of environmental safety precautions taken under place while building productive solar panels, the only negative environmental effect it has is towards creating the semiconductors or PV’s. Most of the world’s potential of energy can be maximized by utilizing these innovational technologies that end up having returns in later years with minimal maintenance cost. References: Bartoli, B., et al. "The design of photovoltaic plants: an optimization procedure." Applied Energy 18.1 (1984): 37-47. BBC. "Solar boat makes Atlantic history ." BBC News. BBC, 30 Mar. 2007. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. . Bihn, Jon. "Solar backpack." 2007 U.S. Patent Application 11/775,711. Binstock, Yoni. "Energy Innovation: 6 Radical Solar Energy Technologies." RSS. 16 Nov. 2013. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. . Carroll, Doug, Car Balance, and Spring Rates. "The Winning Solar Car." Training 2005 (2003): 08-23. Howard, George E. "Vehicle having a solar steam generator." U.S. Patent No. 2,920,710. 1960. Li, Gang, et al. "High-efficiency solution processable polymer photovoltaic cells by self-organization of polymer blends." Nature materials 4.11 (2005): 864-868. Mancini, Thomas, et al. "Dish-Stirling systems: An overview of development and status." Journal of Solar Energy Engineering 125.2 (2003): 135-151. Pitz-Paal, Robert. "Concentrating solar power." Energy: Improved, Sustainable and Clean Options for our Planet, Elsevier, Oxford (2008): 171-192. Weiss, Werner; Bergmann, Irene; Faninger, Gerhard. "Solar Heat Worldwide (Markets and Contributions to the Energy Supply 2005)" (PDF). International Energy Agency. Web. 23. Apr. 2014 Read More