Solar Energy Solar energy is energy from the sun. The term solar energy is used more specifically to describe the utilization of this energy through human endeavor. The primary forms of solar energy are heat and light. Secondary forms and effects include photosynthesis, wind, the Gulf Stream, the hydrologic cycle, fossil fuels and electricity.
Solar energy has a long history going back to prehistoric times. Primitive architects incorporated windows to provide light. The Greeks, Native Americans and Chinese warmed their buildings by orienting them toward the sun. Medieval European farmers used thermal mass and elaborate field orientation to increase crop yields.
Renewable Energy Renewable energy utilizes natural resources such as sunlight, wind, tides and geothermal heat, which are naturally replenished. Renewable energy technologies range from solar power, wind power, and hydroelectricity to biomass and biofuels for transportation. About 13 percent of primary energy comes from renewables although the technical potential for their use is very large, exceeding all other readily available sources. Renewable energy sources worldwide in 2005. Off-grid electric and ground source heat pumps not included. Source: Renewable energy technologies are sometimes criticised for being unreliable or unsightly, yet the market is growing for many forms of renewable energy. Solar Wind The solar wind is a stream of charged particles (i.e., a plasma) which are ejected from the upper atmosphere of the sun. It consists mostly of high-energy electrons and protons (about 1 keV) that are able to escape the sun's gravity in part because of the high temperature of the corona and the high kinetic  energy particles gain through a process that is not well understood at this time.
Many phenomena are directly related to the solar wind, including geomagnetic storms that can knock out power grids on Earth, aurorae (e.g., Northern Lights) and the plasma tail of a comet always pointing away from the sun. While early models of the solar wind used primarily thermal energy to accelerate the material, by the 1960s it was clear that thermal acceleration alone cannot account for the high speed solar wind. Some additional acceleration mechanism is required, but is not currently known, but most likely relates to magnetic fields in the solar atmosphere.
Solar Powered Lighting Solar lights will work in most areas; however solar lights will work well only as long as the solar cells receive the manufacturers recommended hours of sunlight. Solar lights located in places that receive less sunlight than the solar cells needs, will operate for fewer hours per night than expected. Shading of the solar cells by landscape features, such as vegetation, buildings, etc will also affect battery charging and performance. There is virtually no maintenance required except for occasional cleaning of the panel surface to keep it free of dust and dirt, and replacing the batteries when required.  A single solar cell panel produces a maximum of 0.45 volts and a varying amount of current depending on the size of the panel and the amount of sun light the solar panel receives. In a typical solar yard light there is four solar cells attached together, and will produce around 1.8 volts and a maximum of about 100 milliamps in full sunlight.
The solar cells wired directly to the battery through a diode (which prevents the battery's current from flowing back through the solar cell at night). The battery is a completely standard AA NiCad battery. These batteries produce about 1.2 volts and can store a maximum of approximately 700 milliamp-hours. During the day, the battery charges, reaching maximum charge except on shorter winter days or days when there is heavy overcast. At night, the solar cells stop producing power. The photo resistor turns on the LED light.
The controller board accepts power from the solar cell and battery, as well as input from the photo resistor. It has a three-transistor circuit that turns on the LED when the photo resistor indicates darkness. The LED draws about 45 milliamps with the battery producing about 1.23 volts (0.055 watts). The NiCad battery, when fully charged, can operate the LED for about 8-12 hours.
Almost all-solar yard lights use LED's as their light source. An LED is a light emitting diode. It is not really a light bulb but an electrical component that emits light. These electrical components proven highly reliable, giving off almost no heat and have a life expectancy of up to 20 years. Solar Powered Lights are also a good source for an emergency situation. Solar power has all sorts of products for an emergency: Always remember everything solar always has that back up battery that you are always needing. 
| Using the Sun for Power - How It Works With massive rebate programs and tax credits being issued by state and federal governments, using the sun to generate electricity is very popular. So, how does it work?
Generating electricity from the sun is all about converting sunlight into power. Importantly, the process has nothing to do with converting the heat produced by sunlight into energy. This common misconception leads to a lot of confusion regarding solar systems.
The technology behind solar systems is known as photovoltaic technology. Essentially, this technology involves using sunlight to create a chemical reaction. During the chemical reaction, electrons are released from the relevant material and collected by tiny wires. This process creates a direct current of electricity. The electricity is then converted to usable alternating current electricity and stored in a battery or fed into a utility grid system.
Solar platforms use this exact process to produce energy. The arrays are made up of small squares called photovoltaic cells. A collection of these cells forms a single panel and a collection of panels makes up a “solar array.” The size of your array is entirely dependent upon the amount of electricity you want to produce.
The photovoltaic cells in a solar array are where the action happens. The cells are typically made with crystalline silicon under a glass cover. When sunlight hits the crystalline silicon, the material reacts by kicking off electrons. Tiny wires built into the cells collect the electrons in the form of an electrical current. This current is then sent to an inverter, which converts it to usable electricity.
The biggest issue with solar platforms is how efficiently they convert sunlight into electricity. The answer depends on how much you want to spend. Top brands will convert at roughly 15 percent efficiency. Less expensive brands will convert at 5 to 10 percent efficiency. The more efficient the panels, the fewer you will need.
It has become clear that our reliance on fossil fuels is only going to lead to further problems, whether political, environmental or economic. Advancements in solar technology as well as incredible tax breaks and rebates make using the Sun as an energy source a viable solution for you.
Rick Chapo is with http://www.solarcompanies.com – a directory of solar energy and solar power companies. Visit http://www.solarcompanies.com/articles to read more solar electricity articles.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Richard_Chapo
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Energy It is essential that we find affordable and workable sources of alternative energy before the world completely consumes the already limited stock of fossil fuels. Many countries have started to introduce renewable energy schemes and more still have invested money into researching and even producing different sources of alternative energy. While it is essential that we become less reliant or not reliant at all on fossil fuels, many forms of alternative energy have their disadvantages as well as their obvious advantages. It has to be said though, that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages in many cases.
Wind Energy
Harnessing the power of the wind and using it to our ends is hardly a new idea. Windmills have been and still are used for many different purposes and have been for a great many years, but the improvement of turbines combined with the improved technology to turn the motion of turbine blades into an energy source has seen the use of turbines explode.
Wind power is very popular, but in order to provide a reasonable amount of power it may prove necessary to have large amounts of turbines. On windy days, and even not so windy days some turbines make a noise that many residents consider to be unbearable. Areas of open countryside are protected by conservation orders, which means they can’t be built there either and if there is no conservation order there are still protestors willing to do almost anything to stop the turbines being built. The only viable option left is to use offshore wind farms and these are being investigated, developed and planned all around the world but it takes too many turbines to create a reasonable amount of power and eventually they will have to be built inland; a matter that will be contested wherever the wind farms are proposed to be built.
Solar Energy
Solar energy is probably the most common form of alternative powers for everyday people and you can see solar lights ad other solar accessories in many gardens. Governments are beginning to offer grants to assist in paying for photovoltaic roof tiles; these tiles are easily fitted onto your roof and collect the heat from the sun. This heat can either be used to heat water or can even be converted into electricity. The advantage for the consumer is that by including a grid tie system you can actually sell unused electricity back to the grid. Photovoltaic tiles take the place of ordinary roof tiles and can be perfectly blended to fit the look of the outside of your house. With solar energy you too can help the environment.
Biomass
Ask most people which renewable energy source is the most widely used and they would say either wind or solar, but they’d be wrong or at least they certainly would in America. Since 2000 Biomass has been the most highly produced alternative energy in the United States. Using plant and animal material to create energy isn’t without its downfalls. It would almost certainly meet with competition from residents if biomass power stations were to be created in built up areas. The decomposing plants and animal waste creates an awful smell that is incredibly difficult to mask but it is very renewable (there’s always plants and animal waste).
Other renewable energy sources
These are the main three renewable energy sources that the countries of the world are creating at the moment but there are others. Whether nuclear power is a viable alternative or not is a debate that will undoubtedly rage on forever, but it is a renewable energy and some countries already have extensive capabilities to produce it. Modern technology means that nuclear power stations are safer than they’ve ever been and damage to people, animals or plantation is highly unlikely. However, it takes a long time to develop nuclear power station and even plants that are already being built may take ten years to come to fruition.
Hydropower is used in some countries and uses the motion of waves to create energy. While it is a possibility, the amount of energy produced is minimal and the outlay to set these schemes up is quite large. Without further investigation and improvement in the techniques used it is unlikely that Hydropower will become a major player in the renewable energy world.
For more more information about alternative energy please visit http://www.alternative-energy-solutions.com |