Benefits of Solar Energy

Archive for the ‘Solar Energy Uses’ Category

solar energy absorption used in science honest project, wanted to know if other people had same results, or different.

Your question is poorly worded so I’ll sort of guess at what you mean.

Years ago I recall reading that NASA had determined that the best color to use for maximum solar collection was a very dark green.

I don’t remember how I found this but you might be able to dig this information back out of the internet with some GOOGLE searches.

Generally black is used for an absorber and white for a reflector (one of the other answers mentions this too).

If you want to make an experiment for a science project to illustrate this here is how I’d do it.

1. Locate a digital thermometer (I would suggest you get one from a kitchen supply store with a digital show and a temperature probe of the end of a cable so that it could be stuck in a piece of meat).

2. Make 6 color chips, I would suggest this be done by painting strips of poster board different colors. I would suggest you use colors white (paint it white don’t leave it unpainted), black, red, yellow green and blue.

3. Get a large light bulb in a fixture so you can turn it on and off.

4. Mount the thermometer on the back of one of your color strips, set it at a distance of 12 inches from the light bulb and allow the light to fall on the strip for 30 minutes, take down the temperature measurement on the thermometer every 2 minutes to generate a graph for that one color.

5. Replace the color strip with the next strip and run the experiment again, recording the data every 2 minutes. Do this for each color strip.

6. Now graph all of the data on a single graph, if it works like I believe it should the black colored strip should show the fastest temperature rise and the white color the slowest.

I hope this makes sense and answers your question.

Pls give me the sites that u found this information. Thk

Of total world energy supply – not just electrical generation – the breakdown is as follows:

Oil – 37%
Coal – 25%
Nat Gas – 23%
Nuclear – 6%
Biomass – 4%
Hydro – 3%
Solar Thermal – .5%
Wind – .3%
Geothermal – .2%
Biofuels – .2%
PV Solar – .04%

But, the use of solar and wind is increasing rapidly, so those numbers are nearly certainly out of date. Wind is the most rapidly growing source; I’ve read in some places that it now contributes well over 1%.

Researchers have learned that solar energy can be used with plants in photosynthesis to power a laptop computer. What are some other used for solar energy with plants in our daily life?

Solar energy that is converted into electricity is just that. It can be used to operate anything electrical.

3 Examples of how solar energy is used.

Solar energy is used as follows:

It heats and lights the earth, without it we would all die on a very cold rock with no plant life.

Photo voltaic cells can collect solar energy and produce an electric current.

Solar collectors, usually roof mounted, are used domestically to heat water in homes.

Some desert areas use an array of mirrors to heat water in a central tower to produce steam to turn a generator and produce electricity.

How does it work ? Would it be possible to use it for everything we do that requires electricity ? Or do we only use it to heat water ? I’m confused :/ Are there cars which only use solar energy ?
Thanks !

There are several ways we can harness solar energy:

Solar panels are large plates of silicon that have a special coating on them. When exposed to sunlight, the coating becomes electrically charged, and voila, you have electricity. The downside is that it’s not very efficient for the amount of space you need. For instance, you’d need to cover most of your house’s roof with panels to generate enough electricity to run your house. And at night, well, no sun means no power. Roof top systems are configured to sell power back to the electric company. This shows up as a credit on your monthly bill and helps lower your overall cost of electricity.

There have been some experiments done with solar powered cars. Many universities compete in a race consisting of solar powered cars built by their students. Some other people with hybrid cars have place solar panels on their roof to help recharge their car’s batteries while driving down the road. But, until we figure out how to make more powerful solar cells and better batteries, it’s likely that cars powered completely by solar energy will remain a curiosity.

Another way to use solar energy is solar heating. This consists of a large metal box, painted black, that has copper piping running in a dense zig-zag pattern inside of it. Black absorbs heat, so placed in the sun the box becomes very hot. As cooler water enters the box from one end, and zig-zags through the pipes inside, it picks up some of the heat so that it leaves the box warmer than when it entered. These are commonly used for swimming pools. A small water pump draws water from the swimming pool and sends it through black box, where it’s slightly heated before returning to the pool. This way the pool is warmed without having to use gas or electricity to heat the water. It’s also possible to use this system to help keep the water inside your water heater warm without having to use the gas or electricity in the heater. It won’t replace your gas or electric water heater, but it can help you use less energy – saving you money and helping the planet.

A third way we can use solar energy is in the form of a solar furnace. Surely you’ve used a magnifying glass in the sunlight and noticed if you focus the light on a piece of paper, it will eventually catch fire. Well, that’s the same thought behind a solar furnace. Using mirrors and lenses, the sun’s energy is redirected and focused onto a tank or a section of pipe. Inside is water or some other liquid, which is then turned into pressurized steam, which is then used to turn a turbine that generates electricity. This is basically the same thought behind ancient steam powered locomotives, and is also how nuclear power plants produce electricity.

There are still challenges we need to deal with for solar power. Solar panels are hard and expensive to make and you need a lot of them to produce any significant amount of electricity. There’s also the problem with places that don’t get as much sunlight – such as places up north during the Winter – and of course night time when the sun’s not out at all. Solar furnaces are still under experimentation. They’re still honestly expensive to build and also require a lot of space because of all the mirrors and lenses, not to mention once the sun goes down, they also stop working.

has anyone used solar energy to mantain his fish house?
and what is the best way?

I ran solar in my cabin for years it is simple a small system needs a deep cell Battery in line from panel to out place point a small panel will run a radio 24/7 a small car fan 8 hrs at night but small more the panel was a 52 watt…..there other tricks to keep that battery charged like install two batteries in your car with a switch over switch from marine supply…run your car on way to work as you stop turn switch to one battery at home just plug your car #2 batteries into fish house the key is the marine battery switch buy it used at a boat repair shop……special note you will need a flow diode so as not to drain your batteries in case of a small run a female end extention cord from #2 bat out your grill heck just plug in don’t lift the hood

Picture of solar Panel.What is Solar Cooker?Advantages of Solar Energy.Disadvantages of Solar Energy.Uses of Solar Energy.

A photovoltaic module or photovoltaic panel is a packaged interconnected assembly of photovoltaic cells, also known as solar cells. The photovoltaic module, known more commonly as the solar panel, is then used as a component in a larger photovoltaic system to offer electricity for commercial and residential applications.

Because a single photovoltaic module can only produce a limited amount of power, many installations contain several modules or panels and this is known as a photovoltaic array. A photovoltaic installation typically includes an array of photovoltaic modules or panels, an inverter, batteries and interconnection wiring.

Solar Energy Advantages :
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Saves you money :
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After the initial investment has been recovered, the energy from the sun is practically FREE.
The recovery/ payback period for this investment can be very small depending on how much electricity your household uses.
Financial incentives are available form the government that will reduce your cost. (visit www.dsireusa.org to find out about incentives available in the state you live in!).
If your system produces more energy than you use, your utility company can buy it from you, building up a credit on your account! This nifty small scheme is called "net-metering".

It will save you money on your electricity bill if you have one at all.
Solar energy does not require any fuel.
It’s not affected by the supply and demand of fuel and is therefore not subjected to the ever-increasing price of gasoline.
The savings are immediate and for many years to come.
The use of solar energy indirectly reduces health costs.

Environmentally friendly:
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Solar Energy is clean, renewable (unlike gas, oil and coal) and sustainable, helping to protect our environment.
It does not pollute our air by releasing carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide or mercury into the atmosphere like many traditional forms of electrical generation does.
Therefore Solar Energy does not contribute to global warming, acid rain or smog.
It actively contributes to the decrease of harmful green house gas emissions.
It’s generated where it is needed.
By not using any fuel, Solar Energy does not contribute to the cost and problems of the recovery and transportation of fuel or the storage of radioactive waste.

Independent/ semi-independent:
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Solar Energy can be utilized to offset utility-supplied energy consumption. It does not only reduce your electricity bill, but will also continue to supply your home/ business with electricity in the event of a power outage.
A Solar Energy system can operate entirely independently, not requiring a connection to a power or gas grid at all. Systems can therefore be installed in remote locations (like holiday log cabins), making it more practical and cost-effective than the supply of utility electricity to a new site.
The use of Solar Energy reduces our dependence on foreign and/or centralized sources of energy, influenced by natural disasters or international events and so contributes to a sustainable future.
Solar Energy supports local job and wealth creation, fuelling local economies.

Low/ no maintenance:
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Solar Energy systems are virtually maintenance free and will last for decades.
Once installed, there are no recurring costs.
They operate silently, have no moving parts, do not release offensive smells and do not require you to add any fuel.
More solar panels can easily be added in the future when your family’s needs grow.

Solar Energy Disadvantages:
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The initial cost is the main disadvantage of installing a solar energy system, largely because of the high cost of the semi-conducting materials used in building one.
The cost of solar energy is also high compared to non-renewable utility-supplied electricity. As energy shortages are becoming more common, solar energy is becoming more price-competitive.
Solar panels require quite a large area for installation to achieve a excellent level of efficiency.

The efficiency of the system also relies on the location of the sun, although this problem can be overcome with the installation of certain components.
The production of solar energy is influenced by the presence of clouds or pollution in the air.
Similarly, no solar energy will be produced during nighttime although a battery backup system and/or net metering will solve this problem. See www.dsireusa.org for details on how net metering allows you to save electricity and money.
As far as solar powered cars go – their slower speed might not appeal to everyone caught up in today’s rat race.

How does the amount of chemical energy stored in plants compare to the electrical energy stored by solar panel/batteries?

Most plants are around 1% efficient at turning sunlight into a useful form of energy it can use. Bamboo is probably somewhat higher. Solar panels are somewhere around 20% efficient now I reckon. Trees are much cheaper to use for collecting solar energy if you have the land area though.

I came accross a new, proven and tested home made wind power system and solar power system which eliminates our electricity bills. It was written by a Renewable energy enthusiasts Michael Harvey the diy called Earth4energy. You can get your copy to save energy and help environment while eliminating your power bills. Get it from here:

http://how-to-build-cheap-solar-energy.blogspot.com/

I pretty much agree with Jeffry.

Except with the comments about solar manufacturing producing pollution. While that is undoubtedly right, why single out solar? Pretty much everything we make has some environmental impact.
Wind turbines too. Carbon fiber blades must have some impact in their manufacturing for instance.

Solar thermal power plants may have less impact in their manufacture than PV. It’s basically glass and steel, with a generator of some type.
(turbine, stirling engine for example)

At any rate, both wind and solar have small impacts over the life of them, providing completely clean energy once they are installed.

They both have advantage of being able to be built in relatively small times, compared with coal or nuclear plants.

Mass production of plug in hybrid cars in the U.S. would save lots of oil. They are more marketable than pure electrics, because they have no range limitation. The average American driver would get overall mileage of 100 mpg. Recharging at night for $1 of electricity.

Plug in Partners – advocacy group for PHEVs

http://www.pluginpartners.org/

"Charging the battery each night would cost less than $1.00 at current rates. PHEVs outfitted with a battery pack providing a 40-mile electric range could power, using the all-electric mode, more than 60% of the total annual miles traveled by the average American driver. That means tens of millions of motorists could make their daily commute using small, if any, gasoline. "

"PHEVs would result in significant fuel savings for most motorists. The initial cost of the plug-in vehicle, but, would be more than a conventional car or one of the existing mass-produced hybrids. But, a 2004 study by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) found that plug-in hybrids can achieve life cycle costs parity with conventional gasoline vehicles – meaning that over the life of the car the cost will be equal or less despite the initial higher cost. The study calculated gasoline price as $1.75/gallon."

So at $4 a gallon which we will see soon, how much would you save?

Using the grid to charge cars at night is already cleaner than burning gasoline. As we make the grid cleaner, PHEVs and EVs will make more and more sense.

Excellent thoughts here:

http://www.setamericafree.org/blueprint.pdf

A Blueprint For U.S. Energy Security

and here:
Scientific American A Solar Grand Plot

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=a-solar-grand-plot

and here:Green Wombat several tales about solar thermal power plants in California etc.

http://blogs.business2.com/greenwombat/

One of the major complaints about ethanol is that there’s small, if any, net gain in energy. Is the state of the science sufficiently advanced to allow solar power to be the primary energy supply?

I want to say yes but at this point I would have to say no. I worked at an ethanol pilot plant and anyone in the industry can tell you to break down starch in the corn you need what they call a jet cooker. This uses high pressure steam at appx 400-600F. There is no way in hell solar panels could heat water to this temperature effeciently and consistently. Plus a lot of ethanol plants run 24 hours a day and that right there pretty much shoots that plot in the ass. A excellent thought though. Ethanol will become more effecient once the enzyme industry catches up and can CHEAPLY use switchgrass as a fuel source.