Solar Energy Technologies - Essay Example

Solar Energy Introduction Solar energy is energy that is obtained from the sun. The sun is known as a big ball of heat and light that results from the nuclear fusion at is core. This process releases energy that travels in an outward direction to the surface of the sun. A long distance is covered to the surface as the energy transforms and is released as its primarily light energy, sunlight. The two forms of solar energy that make it to the earth are light and heat. Solar energy is often termed as alternative energy to the fossil fuel energy sources like oil and coal (Mahaney 82). Every hour the sun beams on the earth’s surface a lot of energy that can sustain it for a long period. On the surface of the earths orbit, the solar radiation is at a rate of about 1,333 per meter Squared. This is known as the solar constant. Solar energy is a technology that is used with the goal of harnessing sun energy and making it useable. Currently, the technology produces energy that can cater for a major portion of the global energy demand. The various types of solar power include solar photovoltaic power, solar thermal energy and passive solar energy. Solar photovoltaic power is harnessed when the sun rays are converted to electricity. The quantity produced is reliant of the intensity of sun rays. Solar thermal energy uses the sun rays to heat water and the inside of homes. Passive solar energy is the heating of a building or home depending on the architectural design. The design of the window placement and the sunroom structure helps to keep the house warm. Since non renewable energy like oil and gas continue to become limited resources, people are now seeking to explore the alternative sources of energy that are available. Among the available sources energy, solar energy comes highly recommended. As oil continues to become depleted, the majority of people believe that solar energy systems will be the next source of energy in the future. An advantage of solar energy systems is that it offers people the opportunity of being of self sufficient (Foster 38). People can take advantage of the energy that is produced by the sun as heat from the sun is guaranteed. This energy is converted instantly and can be used for a myriad of purposes. The fact of the matter is the this type of energy is under utilized as we continue to over utilized fossil fuels and risk the danger of it being depleted. On the other hand, solar energy is renewable and is environmentally friendly but we fail to capitalize on it. Solar energy has been confirmed as being efficient in industrial and resident setting and is used for cooking, lighting, space technology, cooling and communication among other uses. It is also deemed that fossil fuel is a form of solar energy that has been stored in organic form. However, since fossil fuels have been deduced to make a major negative impact on the environment and has raised concerns of global warming and pollution, solar energy is steadily increasing its importance in homes and industries. As opposed to the restrictions placed on the fossil fuels, there is no limitations place on solar energy availability as the sun produces heat on a daily basis that can be tapped and converted to other forms of energy. There has been a major improvement in solar energy technology and it is making solar energy more affordable (Hough 48). Once the solar panel has been set up, there are no additional costs that are incurred. It is resonated that in the near future, people will be fully dependent on renewable energy, more specifically, solar energy. Background of solar energy Many people have the assumption that solar power is a relatively new form of energy but, this is far the truth. The sun has been a source of energy since the ancient times. The Native American and the ancient Greek were the first to explore solar energy back in 400 BC. They build their houses on the hill sides to take advantage of the heat that was released by the Sun during the day to cool their houses during the cold nights. The Romans also took advantage of the sun through making glass windows that would trap the heat of the sun and warm their homes (Behrman 43). They also constructed glass houses to provide the right conditions for growing their seeds. People benefited from the solar energy in different ways but, the first solar collector was established in 1777. The person who built it was called Horace De Saussare. His gadget was con shaped and boiled ammonia that would perform like locomotion and refrigeration. This attracted a lot of interest in the scientific community in the early 19th century (Gordon 30). In 1838, a renowned scientist, Edmund Becquerel studied and published his findings about the composition and the nature of materials found in the sun that could turn that energy into light but this was not further researched on. In 1871, Auguste Mouchout showed his interest of making use of solar power. He created a steam engine that got its power from the sun. He received funds from the French government to design a device that would turn solar energy into mechanical energy and further power the engine. This engine could also be connected to a refrigerating device and converted water into ice. This invention sparked many; however, the invention was costly( Behrman 23). This meant that is could not be reproduced or maintained. As time passed by, the concept of the steam engine in relation to solar energy was quickly forgotten. The government negotiated a cheaper deal for the supply of coal from England for transportation purpose as Auguste Mouchout’s invention was costly. Despite the fact that, the solar powered steam engine was not viable during that period, scientists still believed that there were other means in which solar panel could be harnessed. In 1880’s, the first photovoltaic cells that were able to convert solar energy to light were built. These cells were composed of selenium and their efficiency was rated from 3 to 4 percent (Mahaney 42). In 1891, the first commercial solar water heater was patented by an American called Clarence Kemp. He did the experiment using the selenium cells after he discovered their sensitivity to light as he was testing this material with telegraph cables. William Adam, the author of the first book on solar energy, did an experiment using mirrors to power his 2. 4 horse powered steam engine. This concept known as the Power Tower is still applicable up to date. Over half a decade that followed, not many developments were realized. The only recognized development was for the Noble Prize winner Albert Einstein in his work regarding the photoelectric effect which was in the filed of physics in 1921. Another major development that was recognized was in the 1950’s as the use of solar energy helped in the development of the Czochralski meter. Gerald Pearson and Daryl Chaplin discovered the use of silicon as a semi conductor accidentally and led to the construction of a solar cell with an efficiency rate of about 7 percent (Gordon 3). This process facilitated the production of pure crystalline silicon and the Bell Telephone laboratories in 1954 that established photovoltaic cells and increased their efficiency in the later years. The photovoltaic cells were deemed as the underlying principle behind the solar panels in concerting solar energy into direct current that can be used for various purposes. Aubrey Eneas formed the Solar Motor Co. which was the first solar energy firm to have sold the first energy system. People saw the need to store solar energy after it was converted by the photovoltaic cells. Henry Willsie developed the first store of power generated by the photovoltaic cells. He was able to store that energy during the day and use it at night. Since this was a small project, it relevance reduced with time. The Frank and Shuman Company took this advantage and was able to build a bigger and more cost effective solar energy system that covered over 10,000 square feet (Tiwari 90). It was able to produce a lot of lot of steam but not enough pressure. Most of the solar project that were undertaken faced extinction after the catastrophe of the First and Second World War. The solar cell was made accessible to the public and was quite costly going for about 300$ per Watt. This was a major factor that limited people from exploring the use of solar energy. In the 1960’s there were Space programs that use the concept and the techniques of solar technology. The Vangaurd 1 and became the first satellite dish to use solar energy and to generate its own electricity 9Richards 32). In the 1970’s re was an energy crisis that forced many people to venture into other sources of energy. This increased further research in solar energy and improving the efficiency of photovoltaic cells. Since the research on PV cells has already begun in the earlier day, the main issue was to develop more cheaper and efficient ones (Branley 32). This interest grew when people saw the government taking an initiative solar energy development projects. This was regarded as the start of modern solar power energy research. Currently, people continue to install solar panels in their homes to help save on energy cost that continue to rise beet the day. There are more s and subsides that are being approved by the government to invest more on solar power technology. There is a renewed focus as more people are witnessing the advantages of solar energy and it is also becoming affordable. Technological advances have seen experimental cars, ships and inbuilt houses that explore solar energy have replaced other sources of energy it. Solar energy has also been used of heating purposes as swimming pools are being heated with solar conventional heaters. Recommendations Solar energy, just like any other form of energy has its benefits and its drawbacks. There are various advantages and disadvantages that have been witnessed with the harnessing of solar energy. The benefits of solar energy; solar energy is renewable. We can not run out of solar reserves like experienced with non renewable sources like oil and coal. As long as the sun keeps shining, we will continue to have solar energy. NASA has estimated the sun will continue to shine for 6.5 billion years (Tiwari 78). This is an indication that solar energy will never be depleted. The methods used to harness solar energy are non polluting and environmental friendly. There is limited pollution regarding the installation of the solar system. In comparison to other sources of alternative energy, solar energy is abundant. We can not be able to harness all the energy that the sun radiates. Another advantage of solar energy is the capability to access electricity in rural areas that may not be linked to the national grid. Once a person has installed the solar panels have been installed, the energy harnessed can be used for different purposes and save on the expenses used on paying electricity bills. The solar panels can be placed on top of roof thus eliminating the hustle of finding a specific place for putting it. Solar energy makes one to be self dependent on his energy and less dependent on other sources of energy. There are various shortcomings regarding solar energy; in cold areas, solar energy can be a fluctuating and an unreliable option. This is due to the fact that it solely depends on sunlight to be able to produce energy. The cost of installation is relatively high. This can range from 1000$ and above depending on the size that is needed. In addition, one needs to install numerous solar panels to get a large supply of electricity to be able to power to various applications in the house (Sukhatme 49). Solar energy is only effective during the day and cannot be able to produce energy during the night. This means there is a limited amount of energy generated when using solar energy. Environmental pollution with the release toxic gases in the atmosphere limits the strength of sun rays that hit the solar panels. A reduction of the sun intensity will automatically reduce the amount of sunlight generated. This is usually witnessed in metropolitan and industrial areas. There are controversial issues that face solar energy. In states where this source of energy has been fully developed, there are issue regarding the installation, ownership, operation and maintenance of the solar panels by owner of the Power departments (Sukhatme 30). There is also an issue regarding the installation of solar panels and the national grid. There is also a controversy regarding the types of solar panels which are effective and the storage of this energy taped from the sun. After the solar system is installed most people do not get the amount of energy as expected. In conclusion, non renewable energy like oil and gas continue to be depleted and people are now seeking to explore the alternative sources of energy that are available. Among the available sources energy, solar energy comes highly recommended. Solar energy has been confirmed as being efficient in industrial and resident setting and is used for cooking, lighting, space technology, cooling and communication among other uses. The history of solar energy show that this type of energy has been in use for quite along time. Just like any other form of energy have its benefits and its drawbacks. The advantages such as being renewable, abundant and environmentally friendly outweigh the disadvantages related with it. It is for this reason that solar energy creates a potential field for further research in make it more efficient and less expensive. Tiwari, G N. Solar Energy: Fundamentals, Design, Modelling and Applications. Pangbourne, Angleterre: Alpha Science International, 2003. Print. Gordon, Jeffrey M. Solar Energy: The State of the Art. London: James & James, 2001. Print Behrman, D. Solar Energy. London: Routledge & Kegan, 1979. Print. Mahaney, Ian F. Solar Energy. New York: PowerKids Press, 2007. Print. Sukhatme, S P, and J K. Nayak. Solar Energy: Principles of Thermal Collection and Storage. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill, 2008. Print. Hough, Tom P. Solar Energy: New Research. New York: Nova Science Publishers, 2006. Print. Foster, Robert, Majid Ghassemi, and Alma Cota. Solar Energy: Renewable Energy and the Environment. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2010. Print. Richards, Julie. Solar Energy. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2009. Print. Oxlade, Chris. Solar Energy. Chicago, Ill: Heinemann Library, 2008. Print. Branley, Franklyn M, and John Teppich. Solar Energy. New York: Crowell, 2005. Print. Read More