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Utilizing the Solar Energy

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Last updated date: 25th Apr 2024
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Introduction

The energy that is solar can be used by man in a planned direct way nowadays. There are two methods of solar energy conversion that are: the photothermal and the photoelectric. In this article we are going to discover few of the very important information regarding solar energy and its utilization as well. The article is dealing with the analysis of conservation of the photothermal in high latitude countries. 

There are Different types of solar that are active and passive systems. The more reliable the solar system is the higher the temperature requirements are there. The technology which is required is more modern and sophisticated and the construction of the system together with the automatic control is a more complicated process though. 


How to Utilize Solar Energy in Home

The solar energy is the energy which is emitted by the star sun in the form of radiant light. This radian light is then harnessed by humans using a variety of methods such as the solar heating, the photovoltaic cells etc. It is inexhaustible. The sources of energy such as solar energy do not usually belong to anyone and hence it is said to be free. The amount of solar energy that is received by the world was calculated once to be approx. near 3000-50000 exajoules that is EJ which is much larger than the total world energy consumption of 600 EJ. 

The operation of a photovoltaic that is PV cell requires 3 basic attributes that are:

  • The light absorption that is generating either electron-hole pairs.

  • The charge separation which carries opposite charges.

  • The extraction separates those carriers to an external circuit.

To reduce the consumption of electricity of the building:

At First : If we want to save on electricity costs  with or without PV then we should first eliminate devices and its appliances that use too much of it. These include the standby devices, which are the incandescent bulbs or the light bulbs and water heaters. 

Then we need to install LEDs instead of light bulbs.

Usually the single which is the largest cost factor is lighting. We can say that the obsolete light bulbs only use about ten percent of the electricity that is to make light. 

About 90 percent are lost as heat. 

They are said to produce heat rather than light this is because they are based on a glowing filament made of tungsten. 

The LEDs which are the modern ones use almost all of the electricity to make light. We  can clearly notice this from the fact that they stay cool, that is there is much less loss. A good LED generally needs about a tenth of the electricity to produce the same amount of light. 

And because it does not heat up so much quicker so it lasts much longer. 

And we can say that the price of LEDs has come down so much that exchanging them for regular light bulbs pays off within one or two years. The same is true for industrial systems of lighting which often use mercury and the vapour lamps. These things too use up a lot of electricity and can easily be replaced by LEDs. 


What are the Challenges of Solar Energy?

The Cost and T&D Losses: is that the solar PV is some years away from true cost competitiveness and from being able to compete on the same scale. That is  other energy generation technologies. 

However we can say that the government is supporting R&D activities by establishing research centers and funding such initiatives. 

The government has even tied up with world-renowned universities to bring down the installation cost of solar sources power and is focusing on upgradation of substations and T&D lines to reduce T&D losses.

Solar power refers to the conversion of the radiant energy of the sun energy in the form of light into electricity. This is done by the cell which is known as the photovoltaic cell also called as the Solar Cell. The metal silicon which is along with germanium and such is a part of a group of elements called semiconductors. It's said to be the electrical conductivity that lies in between the conductors and the metals and the insulators. The element silicon is the key ingredient in solar cells. 

Sunlight is said to be composed of tiny balls of energy that are called photons. The photons in sunlight usually strike the solar cell and they are absorbed by the silicon atoms that the cell is made of. The sunlight that consists of energy packets that are photons excites the protons and the electrons and causes it to jump to a higher energy level. It jumps from a valence stationary orbit to a conduction band where it is mobile. Once these are excited the electron has two options : first the electron can dissipate the energy that it gained as heat and then return to its original position. Second that the electron can easily travel through the body creating a current.

FAQs on Utilizing the Solar Energy

1. Explain How Solar Energy is Used By Humans?

Ans: The people can harness the energy of the sun in a few different ways: that is the Photovoltaic cells which convert sunlight into electricity. The solar thermal technology where heat from the sun is used up to make hot steams or water.

2. Explain What are the Routes of Solar Energy Utilization in Engineering?

Ans: The energy which is the solar energy can be exploited through the solar thermal and solar photovoltaic denoted by PV routes for various applications. The generation of the power by solar energy is not just relatively simpler but is also much more environmentally friendly that is compared to power generation using non-renewable sources like fossil fuels and coals.

3. Explain What is an Example of Solar Energy?

Ans: The solar energy uses sunlight that is captured to create photovoltaic power denoted by PV or concentrated solar power that is denoted by CSP for solar heating. Here's the energysage which is in the top five list for example we can say solar energy: that is solar transportation, solar tech, solar lighting, solar heating and our favorite  rooftop solar.

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