In this article, we will discuss the basics of solar energy or solar power and the importance of solar energy. You will be able to answer what is solar energy, how the world receives solar energy, how much we are dependent on solar energy, how can we harness solar energy, how can we fulfill our daily needs from solar energy, and how much is solar energy consumed by humans. We will also discuss the photovoltaic effect or photovoltaics (PV).
Introduction
The type of
energy generated by the sun is called solar energy.
Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the Sun that is harnessed
using many technologies such as solar power to
generate electricity, and solar thermal energy (including solar water heating).
Solar energy is the radiant emission of electromagnetic waves by the sun. It is a form of clean, renewable, and versatile energy. Collecting, storing, and using solar energy has many advantages, especially in space travel. This is because it is a finite resource that we must learn to harness and use wisely.
The nuclear fusion that takes place in the sun resulting the creation of solar energy. When the protons
of hydrogen atoms violently collide in the core of the sun and a helium atom is
created, thus fusion occurs.
This process is also known as a PP (proton-proton)
chain reaction, which emits an excessive amount of energy. The amount of
hydrogen fused by the sun is about 620 million metric tons every
second in its core.
Solar energy is constantly discharging away from the sun and throughout the solar system. Solar energy warms the Earth, causes the wind and the weather, and it sustains plant and animal life.
Potential of
Solar Energy
The
Earth receives 174 petawatts (PW) from solar radiation in the upper atmosphere. About 30% is reflected back to space while the
rest, about 122 PW, is absorbed by clouds, oceans, and land masses. Most of
the world's population lives in areas with insolation levels of 150 to 300
watts/m2, or 3.5 to 7.0 kWh/m2 per day.
In
2011, a report from the International Energy Agency concluded that "the development of affordable,
inexhaustible and environmentally friendly solar energy technologies will have huge long-term benefits. It will increase the countries' energy security through reliance on an indigenous,
inexhaustible, and mostly import-independent resource, it will enhance sustainability, reduce pollution, and lower the costs of mitigating global warming. All these advantages are global."
Photosynthesis
Almost all living things
on Earth depend on solar energy for food, either directly or indirectly.
Producers depend directly on solar energy. These producers absorb sunlight and convert it into nutrients through a process called photosynthesis. Producers are also known as autotrophs, they include plants, algae, bacteria, and fungi. Autotrophs are also called the foundation of the food web.
Consumers depend on producers for nutrients. Herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and
detritivores depend on solar energy indirectly. Herbivores obtain their food
from plants and other producers. Carnivores and omnivores obtain their food
from both producers and herbivores. Detritivores decompose plant and animal
matter and consume it.
Harnessing Solar Energy
We must learn to harness and use solar energy efficiently- both as a source of power and as an element in our creation story. We currently have many ways to efficiently collect this resource, but learning how to store it is still an issue. Even though it is abundant in the universe, the earth's atmosphere contains elements that hinder solar energy. We must learn to collect and use solar energy effectively no matter how much sunlight we have access to.
Solar energy is a renewable source of energy, and it can be harvested by many technologies directly for domestic and commercial use. Some solar energy technologies contain photovoltaic cells and panels, concentrated solar energy, and solar.
There are many ways to capture solar radiation and convert it into usable energy. The methods used may be active solar energy or passive solar energy.
Active solar technologies use electrical or mechanical components to actively convert solar energy into another form of energy, these forms are most often heat or electricity. Passive solar technologies do not use any external components. However, they take benefit of the local climate to heat structures during the winter and reflect heat during the summer.
Photovoltaics
It is a form of active solar technology that was discovered by 19-year-old
French physicist Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel in 1839. Becquerel found that when
he placed silver chloride in an acidic solution and brought it
to sunlight, the platinum electrodes generated an
electric current that was attached to it. This process of producing
electricity directly from solar radiation is known as the photovoltaic effect or photovoltaics.
Today, photovoltaics is the most familiar method to
harness solar energy.
Solar energy is collected using panels and devices called batteries. These collect solar energy and convert it into electricity. Collecting this type of energy is extremely efficient; it only requires a small percentage of the total power produced. The waves that create solar energy are also used to create sound in our universe. When we hear waves, we are hearing waves from the same source that provides us with clean and green energy.
Photovoltaic arrays usually involve solar panels,
a collection of a large number of solar cells.
A solar cell consists of a semiconductor, mostly made of silicon. When
the semiconductor absorbs sunlight, it releases electrons away.
An electrical field is produced by these loose electrons into an
electric current, that flows in one direction, i,e. DC. Metallic contacts are placed
at the top and bottom of a solar cell, which directs that current to
an external circuit. The external circuit may be as small as a house or a power
station.
Solar energy is an essential source
of renewable energy, and the
technologies of solar energy are broadly characterized as either passive solar or active solar. It depends on how they
capture and distribute solar energy and convert it into solar power.
Active solar techniques mean the use of photovoltaic systems, concentrated solar power,
and solar water heating to harness the energy.
Passive solar techniques include
orienting a building to the Sun, selecting materials with suitable thermal mass or light-dispersing properties, and
designing spaces that naturally circulate the air.
The large magnitude of solar energy available makes it a highly appealing source of electricity. In 2020 Solar
energy has been the cheapest source of electricity.
Conclusion
The sun is the source of all life on Earth as it
provides all the necessary elements for survival. It is a hub for the movements of cosmic elements such as hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, sodium, and iron. Each
element contributes to the growth and preservation of all life on earth. The
atmosphere contains elements that hinder solar energy; these must be removed
from the equation to harvest the full potential of this resource.
Solar energy is the most important base of life on
earth and the system of the universe and life on earth is dependent on solar energy.
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