Solar energy pertains to the sun’s power that reaches the earth in the form of heat and light. It is one natural resource that could safely be harnessed and used extensively to power our various energy needs. It is known as a form of alternative energy, simply because fossil fuels are the traditional energy source that has been normally used throughout human history.
What Solar Energy Is Used For
Aside from the ever popular solar panels seen in the roofs of houses, there are other tools and technologies that have been invented with the express purpose of catching and converting the sun’s power for human needs. These have been used in architecture and urban planning, in horticulture as well as agriculture, in solar lighting, in solar heating which includes water heating, water treatment, cooking, process heat, and in HVAC systems; in electrical generation, in solar vehicles, and in solar chemical processes that include both thermochemical as well as photochemical reactions.
Solar As Electrical
The most well known form of solar energy nowadays is solar power used for electrical generation in homes. This makes use of an array of photovoltaic panels containing hundreds of solar cells to capture and convert energy. In a smaller scale, the ubiquitous solar powered calculator has been around for quite some time. These contain mini PV cells that effectively replaced batteries in some of our calculators and other small-scale applications. Solar thermal technologies for heating are also a well known technology.
Why Go Solar?
The reason why solar energy is such an attractive alternative is because of the state of the earth’s environment. We have been plagued by the effects of fossil fuel consumption such as global warming and all its attendant upheavals, and also the fact that the reserves for this energy resource are dwindling. The good news is that there are a number of alternative energy sources to choose from. Aside from solar, there is wind power, geothermal power, hydroelectric power, biomass, and others. The technology has actually been there for ages, invented by our ancestors but barely used by us, lying dormant as we have abused our fossil fuel reserves. The sun has always been there to shine, wind has always blown freely, and the earth’s core has always exuded heat and thermal energy.
Modern Views on Solar Power
When seen from this viewpoint, there is no reason not to go green. This is why there are government rebates and incentives for the use of these so-called alternative power sources. This is why we now have engineers and inventors who concentrate on improving the technology to harness these clean power sources. This is why do-it-yourselfers are making and building their own energy systems for their individual residences.
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