A lot of financial news is being made about solar power and solar power generation. What is solar power, and how does it affect you?
First, all energy we use in the world, other than nuclear, is ultimately derived from solar power. Fossil fuels are solar power that’s been converted to carbon rich compounds over the course of millennia. However, solar power as it’s currently described, whether as solar power for the home, or solar power as alternative electrical generation capacity, isn’t using fossil fuels, it’s using the energy of the Sun directly.
Solar energy (the solar constant at the surface of the Earth) is about 164 watts per square meter. Or, put another way, over the average surface area of the earth, each square yard of your front yard receives enough energy to run two and three quarters of a 60 watt incandescent bulb (or about 12 compact fluorescent bulbs or over 20 LED bulbs).
It seems downright wasteful to not harness that energy that’s coming down from space for free. There are two ways that solar power works: Solar thermal systems (where the energy of the sun is used to heat up a working fluid, which has its energy released later) and photovoltaic systems (which work from the photo-electric effect. Believe it or not, Albert Einstein’s Nobel Prize comes from the photo-electric effect, not the Theory of Relativity).
Photovoltaic power systems generate electricity, at about 16% efficiency for silicon wafer based cells, and up to 40% efficiency for rare earth Gallium Arsenide cells. Most commercial photovoltaic systems use the lower efficiency silicon wafer technology, because the amount of time it would take the higher efficiency cells to pay back their initial construction and emplacement costs is prohibitive when compared to coal fired plants.
For solar power in the home, most systems are solar thermal. You run water tanks through a thick south facing wall that’s painted a dark color; the water is heated by the solar energy that’s absorbed, and then circulated into a holding tank in the basement. In some plans, this hot water is used for bathing and domestic uses. More innovative schemes run the hot water through radiators, or pipes in the floor, where it warms the house during the night. Photovoltaic generators can take the edge off of an electrical bill, but because of the expense and the low efficiency, generally aren’t enough to make a house energy independent throughout the year.
If you’re seriously considering how solar power works and what it can do for you, talk to your utility company. Most utility companies, knowing what solar power is, will give you credits to install solar systems in your home, and will give you credit for electricity you generate and sell back to the grid.
As to the question What Is Solar Power? It’s something we’ve been using, and will continue to use for millennia to come.
About the Author: Milos J Leonard is a solar power expert that can help you find the perfect solar power kit Find the best solar power kit discounts on the web and help save our earth by powering your home with natural energy.