What is Solar Energy? | Types, Definition, Structure, Function & Facts

What is Solar Power?

The main source of energy on planet Earth comes from the sun. Solar energy is energy generated directly from sunlight. Solar energy can be used for thermal energy or converted into electrical energy.

Renewable Energy

When we use solar energy, we are not using any of the earth’s resources like coal or oil. This makes solar energy a renewable energy source. Solar energy is also a clean, low-polluting energy.

Solar Power for Heat

Solar energy can be used to heat homes and other buildings. Sometimes solar energy for heating can be passive. This is when no mechanical components are used to move the heat. Passive heating helps keep the house warm in winter, heats swimming pools and even heats our cars when we park outside (this is fine in winter but not so much on hot summer days). painting).

Active heating is when there are mechanical components to help move heat. The sun can be used to heat water or air, which is then pumped around the building to provide even heat to all rooms.

Solar Power for Electricity

When most of us think of solar energy, we think of solar cells that turn the sun’s rays into electricity. Solar cells are also known as photovoltaic cells. The word “photovoltaic” comes from the word “photons”, which are the particles that make up sunlight, as well as the word “volt”, which is a unit of electrical energy.

Today, solar cells are commonly used in small portable devices such as calculators and wristwatches. They are becoming more and more popular for buildings and homes as they become more efficient. One advantage of solar cells is that they can be placed on the roof of a building or house without taking up extra space.

How do Solar Cells work?

Solar cells convert photon energy from the sun into electricity. When the photon hits the top of the cell, the electrons are attracted to the surface of the cell. This causes tension to build up between the top and bottom layers of the cell. When an electrical circuit is formed between the upper and lower parts of the cell, current flows, supplying power to the electrical device.

It takes a lot of solar cells to power a building or a house. In this case, several solar cells connected into a wide array of cells can generate more total energy.

History of Solar Power

The photovoltaic cell was invented in 1954 by researchers at Bell Labs. Since then, solar cells have been used on small objects such as computers. They are also an important source of power for spacecraft and satellites.

Starting in the 1990s, the government funded research and offered tax incentives to people using clean, renewable energy like solar power. Scientists have made advances in the efficiency of solar cells. Today, solar cells are about 5-15% efficient, which means most of the energy from sunlight is wasted. They hope to achieve 30% or better in the future. This will make solar energy a much more economical and viable alternative energy source.

Are there any Drawbacks to Solar Power?

Solar energy has two major drawbacks. One downside is that the amount of sunshine in a particular location varies depending on the time of day, the weather, and the time of year. Another downside is that with current technology, it takes a lot of expensive photovoltaic cells to generate a decent amount of power.

Fun Facts about Solar Power

The world’s largest solar thermal power plants are located in the state of California.

Many large photovoltaic plants are being built around the world. Some of the largest are located in China, Canada and the United States (Nevada).

If only 4% of the planet’s deserts were covered with photovoltaic cells, they could provide all of the world’s electricity.

Many believe that as solar panels become more efficient and cheaper, they will become a standard feature in new homes and buildings.

In 1990, a solar-powered plane flew over the United States without fuel.

Albert Einstein won the Nobel Prize in 1921 for his work on photoelectric energy.