Renewable Energy from Solar
Power
Solar energy refers to the utilisation of renewable energy from
the Sun. Solar energy can be converted into other forms of energy,
such as heat and electricity.
Benefits of Solar energy:
- Generate electricity which
is clean, green and renewable from Photovoltaic cells
Using solar-thermal panels instead of Photovoltaic cells water
or air can be heated for domestic hot water and space heating
needs
Using solar chimneys air can be heated or cooled
Solar panels are an idea source of renewable energy that is
pollution free
-
Solar panels produces electricity quietly unlike the energy
produced from the use of fossil fuels and some renewable fuels
Solar energy enables electricity to be produced in remote
locations that are not linked to a national grid
The use of solar energy to produce electricity allows the user
to become less dependent on the worlds fossil fuel supplies and
reduces their carbon footprint
How do Photovoltaic Cells work?
Photovoltaic systems use cells to convert sunlight
into electricity. The PV cell consists of one or two layers of a
semi conducting material, usually silicon. When light shines on the
cell it creates an electric field across the layers causing
electricity to flow. The greater the intensity of light, the greater
the flow of electricity.
Disadvantages of
Solar Power
The major disadvantage of solar energy is the initial cost of solar
cells. Currently, prices of highly efficient solar cell arrays can
be above £10,000 (US $20,000) and some households may need many more
panels. This makes the initial installation of solar panels very
costly.
Solar energy is only able to generate electricity during daylight
hours. This means for around half of each day, solar panels are not
producing energy for your home. The weather can affect the
efficiency of solar cells. In some cities, pollution levels can
affect the solar cells performance and efficiency. This would be a
major setback for businesses or industry wishing to install solar
panels in heavily polluted areas.
Irrespective of the
disadvantages, Solar energy is still a good source of renewable
energy. Prices for panels
are continually coming down and technological advances are being
made. |
