Index: 1. Introduction 2. Uses Of Solar Energy 3. Solar Power Plus Technology 4. Putting Solar Energy To Work a. Photovoltaic Cell a.i. Things To Consider a.ii. Advantages Of PV Cells a.iii. Disadvantages Of PV Cells b. Solar Thermal Energy b.i. Things To Consider b.ii. Advantages Of STE b.iii. Disadvantages Of STE 5. Conclusion
Introduction Someone once said energy makes things happen. This is absolutely true. Light energy helps us see and when we feel warm during cold days this is all thanks to the energy called heat. But, have you ever wondered where most of this energy came from? Most of the energy that the Earth receives comes from the Sun. The Sun is the biggest source of energy in our lives. It gives off enormous amount of heat and light energy in all directions that some of its energies reach the Earth. We call this energy solar energy meaning energy from the Sun. Solar energy makes life on Earth possible. Without the sun, the earth would be cold and dark that no living things can live on it. Another thing is that, life depends on water. The heat from the Sun causes the water to constantly move between the Earths' surface and the atmosphere. This process is called the water cycle. With this, water is properly distributed all over the globe. Another importance of the solar energy is that it gives plants the energy they need to make food in a process called photosynthesis. During this process plants take in sunlight, use water and release oxygen into the air.
Uses Of Solar Energy If you are to list down the uses of the Sun’s heat and light energy in your daily life, you will see that even a piece of paper is enough. Sometimes the most common things in this world are the things ignored by most people. For many years now, man has utilized almost everything in this planet. This ranges from the minerals under the Earth’s surface to gases up in the sky.
But, the suns’ heat and light energy, which in fact the most
abundant and most common on Earth has been ignored. The suns heat and light energy have many uses. It is used to grow plants; some people use it to dry their clothes after washing and some even use it to cook food or boil water. In ancient times, people used solar power to dry food, animal skin and clothes. They even discovered that sunlight can cause fire if focused using a piece of glass. Another interesting thing about our sun is that, when it is processed, it can produce the energy we need in our homes-the electricity. Solar Power Plus Technology Technology is the application of what a person knows about something important. Some are simple, some are complicated but no matter what it may be, they are the product of humans intellectual capabilities. The car running down the road is technology, the TV you watch movies on is also technology, the stove you use to cook food is another example of technology. But this technology cannot function without energy. As what I have quoted earlier, energy makes things happen. If this is the case I think it would be better to determine the source of all this energy.
For an industrialized country, coal and oil have been the main source of energy. These were processed to produce different kinds of energy and the most common is the electrical energy.
The question is, can we really rely on
these sources forever? I mean can these sources be enough for the next generations needs. The answer is NO. Coal and oil were non-renewable materials. When these materials were used up, they are gone for good. What will we do if these materials are gone? Can we survive if we do not have energy to use? Imagine yourself with no electricity to light up the house, no fuel to run cars and no energy to cook food. For many years now, we are dependent on coal and oil for our energy supply and because these materials were limited and the usage of these became expensive. But what can we do, we can’t just stop utilizing these sources right? But wait, aren’t we forgetting something? The sun is the most common source of energy on Earth. Instead of using coal and oil which are non renewable materials and were very expensive to produce the energy we need, why not use the sun? Just recently a breakthrough about the suns’ power exploded like an active volcano. It is like a dream come true for many people. Something was created to convert the suns’ energy into energy useful to humans. An American engineer Russell Ohl created the first solar cell in 1941. This one of a kind invention paved the way of obtaining free energy for our household. Many years had passed since the solar cell was invented and as the years go by, many technologies were also developed to take advantage of the suns’ rays in as many ways as possible.