What is solar energy?
Solar energy, also known as solar energy, is the energy emitted by sunlight in the form of heat and light, It is the product of nuclear interactions in the nearest star, The sun. Amazing energy produced far exceeds current global energy needs, And if it’s harnessed and used properly, They can meet all future energy needs.
The importance of solar energy
The importance of solar energy lies in the fact that sunlight facilitates the evolutionary processes of organisms, In addition to the role of these rays in hydropower and wind power, It is also responsible for the photosynthesis of plants to produce food and biomass. Production and growth of food crops and drying them to protect them from damage, in addition to using agricultural greenhouses to increase heat. Moreover, solar energy is the most important source of energy in the so-called renewable energy group, and it is worth noting that the importance of solar energy as a renewable energy source is increasing because it is not decreasing and has strong characteristics. At a time when levels of fossil fuels, oil, coal and natural gas have declined significantly.
Solar exploitation applications
to use solar energy a large number of old and modern applications in our lives, The following is an explanation:
Old apps
Here are examples of older applications for solar energy development:
Applications of architecture and construction
steering the house and its windows towards the sunshine, Where light and heat are used in the house, Also choose the type of building materials so that you can absorb and store heat.
Agricultural applications
grown in a greenhouse or thermal energy, which turns sunlight into heat, This method has been reported to help facilitate the cultivation and growth of plants in the off-season.
Applications in sterilization
In some areas, The use of a specially adapted solar cooker has been reported to sterilize medical instruments in clinics, Studies have also shown that bacteria, viruses and parasites can develop in water when exposed to sunlight for several hours. decrease More than 2 million people in developing countries use these methods every day.
Different applications
Various old applications for solar energy use are as follows:
- Cook with a solar stove, It is a box that collects sunlight and uses its heat to cook. It was first made in 1767 by a Swiss physicist (Horace de Sussor).
- Heated using solar heaters that harness sunlight and use it to heat water in homes and buildings through a custom solar panel system installed on the roof of the building.
Modern applications
Examples of modern applications for solar energy use are solar power generation, The most famous explanations for these methods are:
Solar cells
Solar cells convert sunlight directly into electricity, One cell produces less energy, So a large number of cells must be grouped together, Like solar panels on the roof of the building, to generate enough power, This type of level cell is used in satellite networks and space communications, On the ground These batteries were used in calculators, watches, homes, and commercial buildings, And even stadiums. Kaohsiung World Stadium in Taiwan was built in 2009 using 8,800 solar panels above the stadium.
Solar energy concentration technology
In this technique, The heat of the sun is used instead of radiation as in the solar cell, So there is a set of lenses or mirrors that focus light from the sun in the form of a beam, Which is used to start a water heater that produces steam in turn which stimulates the turbine to start generating electricity.
Advantages of solar energy
There are many advantages to distinguishing between solar energy and electricity generated from it, The most important are:
- The cost of producing and generating power is low.
- Make sure you get rid of the high electricity prices for homeowners.
- A renewable and permanent energy source, NASA estimates that the sun will continue to shine for 6.5 billion years.
- They are environmentally friendly and are not polluting.
- Radiation is widely available geographically.
- Lower electricity costs (because owners can sell excess electricity after energy production).
- Reduces the use of collective solar panels and overcomes the problems of individual and home installations.
- Compared to wind power, There are fewer moving parts and therefore fewer maintenance requirements.
- Material support from governments and countries.
The most popular household uses of solar energy
After starting to use solar applications and compatible with modern technology, They are used in homes in many forms, the most famous of which are:
- An external ventilation device based on the sun.
- The pool is heated by solar energy using a special solar heating system.
- Solar heating systems for home water.
- Solar heating system for home heating.
- Through a home water pump with small solar panels.
- Charge batteries via solar energy.
- The house is powered by solar panels.
- Cook with sunlight and solar stoves.
- External lighting can be turned on, like lighting the garden and away from home electricity, by solar panels.
Solar storage methods
Solar energy can be stored in several ways, Among them:
- Store them in specialized batteries or capacitors and use them at night or when clouds obscure sunlight.
- Using sunlight to produce fuel, For example Some PV cells use sunlight to divide water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen, Which is stored as fuel (gases) combine again to generate electricity when needed. A device called a fuel cell.
- Concentrated thermal energy from sunlight can be stored in melted salt or saline solution at high temperatures. When electricity is needed, Heat travels from melted salts to water through a device that converts heat into steam that operates dedicated turbines to generate electricity.