...talk about fossil fuels polluting our earth, I have failed to demonstrate why solar energy is the superior "clean" alternative. Solar energy is a "clean" energy source because it takes the suns energy and converts it to usable energy without any pollution. The article "How Solar Power Works" explains this process. Solar panels contain cells made of silicon under a layer of glass for protection. These cells, when hit by sunlight, generate what they call electron activity. This electron activity is what creates the energy and that energy can then be stored in a battery or immediately used (Morris). Solar panels are not as "high tech" as I originally thought going into my research. This simple design eliminates the need for pollution....
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...May 25th, 2010 English 1010 Prof. Mrs. Betancourt Energy emergency! Starting from humanity history, humans have been trying to create and establish new things to have better conditions at life. We know from physics lessons that if we want to do a new invention, we need energy in progress. The variety of energy sources actually enables people to obtain their needs in terms of this issue. Due to this fact, the usage of those energy sources has beneficial effects when they are used in the right progress. Sustainable and renewable energy sources such as solar, wind; hydro, oceanic and geothermal energies provide the needed energy for people efficiently and are the best options to improve our planet future. Firstly, economic benefits are very important for societies nowadays in the world. As a result of this, societies are trying to find cheaper way to produce energy. Here we can suggest geothermal energy. The source of geothermal energy is hot underground water. This kind of water can be found by sounding and this technique is not expensive. After making canals that water flow inside it is enough to finalize the progress. Energy types which are produced by sun are example of this situation. Besides from the normal risks, geothermal energy can also provide a cleaner source of energy. According to Energy Consumers Edge (ECE) “geothermal energy use does entail some environmental impact, but it is safe to say that the environmental benefits far outweigh the costs’’. Most geothermal...
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...Personal energy production through the use of solar panels and wind generators in urban settings. Personal energy production through the use of solar panels and wind generators in urban settings. Many experts feel that urban renewable energy production through the use of solar panels and wind generators is not efficient or reliable enough to justify the steep financial investment required for equipment purchase and installation. With government tax credit extensions and new high-efficiency low-cost equipment entering the market. Now is the time for each of us to consider becoming an energy producer, not just a consumer. Solar Panels Who doesn’t love the idea of solar power? It is one of the most predictable and reliable sources of energy we have. The concept of harnessing solar energy into electricity has been around for a long time. In fact, this process was first observed by the French physicist Antoine – Cesar Becquerel in 1839. Of course, it would be over a century later in 1954 that three scientists Daryl Chapin, Calvin Fuller, and Gerald Pearson from Bell Laboratories would discover the advantages of using silicon for the panels that were a record-breaking 6% efficient producing 50watts of power per square yard in direct sunlight. (John Perlin, 2002) Solar panel efficiency Efficiency has been the Achilles heel of solar energy production ever since its emergence as a viable energy production option in 1954. Since this time, scientists have tried a multitude of...
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... solar power Attention Homeowner’s: Solar Power is the wave of the future! What if I told you that the latest innovations in solar power can save you money? Innovations are the applications of better solutions and solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity. I have compiled a list of the latest innovations for you the consumer to decide whether solar power is the right for you. The three innovations are thinner film cells, micro-inverters, and racking options. These new technologies will make solar power cheaper and more affordable for you to obtain. These new innovations will save you money because they are much cheaper for you to purchase. They beat out the old power panels which cost the consumer well over 10,000 dollars to install a basic generating system, which really didn’t save the consumer any money unless you planned to stay 30 years or more in your home. Not to mention that solar power is much more efficient and is better for the environment than normal electricity. It is said that in the next decade at least 20% of our power will be supplied by solar power. One of the most promising technologies is ultrathin film that can reduce the amount of material in solar cells by up to a hundred fold. When you picture solar panels what picture comes to mind? Large black cells with an aluminum framing that have been used for decades. (Dan Oko). The ultra thin film solar uses a completely different take on solar cells...
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...Photosynthesis vs. Solar panels. Converting solar energy into other materials dates back to Edmund Becquerel discover of the photovoltaic effect, which is the operating principle of the solar cell, in 1839” (Zamostny, 2011). Since then scientist have attempt to mimic the photosynthesis process used by plants to harness solar energy. In this essay I will show what makes both methods similar and what makes them different. The main commonality that photosynthesis and solar panels share is that they both have the same goal of creating energy which originates from the sun. The utilization of photosynthesis allows plants to use that energy to survive. The sole purpose of solar panels is to create energy to that could be used in day to day life to make our lives so much more enjoyable. The use of this technology allows us to slow the uses of fossil fuel preserving them making our surviving (or comfort of living) a lot more sustainable. Another commonality that photosynthesis and solar panels (photovoltaic cells) share is the absorption of the sunlight. In photosynthesis, the sunlight is absorbed through the chlorophyll which is located in the chloroplasts. Then is converted to chemical energy used to produce organic compounds. The same method is used in solar panels where the absorption of sunlight occurs in the semi-conductors usually made of silicon. The process of conversion of sunlight into energy itself is a common trait. In solar panels the semi-conductors perform this process...
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...Chi Nguyen Randy Gifford English M01A March 16, 2015 Cause Paper for the Development of Solar Energy Our modern industrial civilization is based mostly on using fossil fuels for power plants to produce electricity and to fuel vehicles for transportation. Oil, which is the most precious and efficient source of energy, has already started to be exhausted due to heavy overpopulation, industrial demands, and scarcity of resources. The oil crisis in 1970 caused scientists all over the world to look for substitutes to fossil fuels to avoid economic and industrial collapses. Experts in the field of sustainable energy have turned their attention towards solar energy. Thomas Edison, the father of energy once said, “We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Nature's inexhaustible sources of energy — sun, wind, and tide.... I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that” (Mathews 79). Solar energy is the safest, the most environment friendly, and one of the fastest developing sources of energy. The reasons that solar energy will dominate all other energy sources in the future are environmental concerns, renewability of the source, and technological adaptation for using solar power as a source. Solar technology utilizes the sun’s energy to produce electricity and does not rely on continual mining of raw materials. Consequently...
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...------------------------------------------------- Solar panel | | Solar PV modules (top) and two solar hot water panels (bottom) mounted on rooftops | From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Solar panel refers to a panel designed to absorb the sun's rays as a source of energy for generating electricity or heating. A photovoltaic (in short PV) module is a packaged, connected assembly of typically 6×10 solar cells. Solar Photovoltaic panels constitute the solar array of a photovoltaic system that generates and supplies solar electricity in commercial and residential applications. Each module is rated by its DC output power under standard test conditions, and typically ranges from 100 to 365 watts. The efficiency of a module determines the area of a module given the same rated output – an 8% efficient 230 watt module will have twice the area of a 16% efficient 230 watt module. There are a few solar panels available that are exceeding 19% efficiency. A single solar module can produce only a limited amount of power; most installations contain multiple modules. A photovoltaic system typically includes a panel or an array of solar modules, a solar inverter, and sometimes a battery and/or solar tracker and interconnection wiring. The price of solar power, together with batteries for storage, has continued to fall so that in many countries it is cheaper than ordinary fossil fuel electricity from the grid (there is "grid parity"). For example in 2015, an average home in Europe or the...
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...Sébastien DANIERE How to produce electricity with solar energy? Renewable energy If our energy for the future only depended from the sun How to produce electricity with solar energy? -1- How to produce electricity with solar energy? Summary INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3 I) CURRENT SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV) TECHNOLOGIES (by Sui CHEN) a) b) c) d) e) Preface………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4 Solar energy map ……………………………………………………………………………………… 4 The cell basic construction………………………………………………………………………. 5 Material of photovoltaic cell ………………………………………………………………….... 6 Array design and sun tracking………………………………………………………………….. 7 II) SOLAR PANEL FOR BUILDING (by Rahul KAPADIA) a) b) c) d) e) f) g) h) i) Preface…………………………………………………………………………………......................... 9 Overview……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 9 Why are solar panels important……………………………………………………………….. 9 Solar panel arrays…………………………………………………………………………………….. 10 Account of daily producing power......................................................................... 10 Solar panel installation……………………………………………………………………………… 11 Precautions………………………………………………………………………………………………. 11 Battery system for solar panel……………………………………………………………………. 11 How many solar panels to recharge the battery…………………………………………... 12 III) APPLICATION OF SOLAR ELECTRICITY FOR COMMERCIAL BUILDING (by Geeta PANDE) a) Application of solar energy for rural electrification……………………………….…...
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...PEST Analysis The company we are focusing on is Canadian Solar. They are a multinational firm that operates in several countries such as “Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Spain, Australia and the United States”. (Canadian Solar) They are a leader in the solar energy industry. A detailed PEST (Political, Economic, Social and Technological) analysis will be provided on how these elements affect the company. There are various political regulations and by-laws passed by the Canadian government to help regulate proper practices of using and installing solar energy. These regulations affect Canadian Solar and their practices. For instance, in the 1970s and 1980s there were a large number of solar panels installed that were not installed properly because they were added by unqualified people. (Pouyot, SOL Spring Issue, 2007) Today there are strict regulations on getting the permission to install solar energy panels which protect land owners from liabilities. Permits must be attained from the government. This regulation protects Canadian Solar from any lawsuits from poor quality installation of solar panels or any damage to their customers’ property. This also helps them meet a certain standard of excellence to help their image and their customers. (Pouyot, SOL Spring Issue, 2007) From 2007 to 2012 the world suffered a global recession. Canada was affected by it but not as severely as other countries worldwide. Economists say we are not in a recession but many Canadians believe...
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...gives a comparison of Australia’s per capita carbon emissions against other countries. It also discusses the economic theory behind carbon emission reduction policies which are in place. An example of these policies is the current solar PV panel subsidy, which is further examined. Australia’s per capita carbon (CO2) emissions are amongst the highest in the world. Figure 1 illustrates when compared to other high income OECD countries, Australia’s CO2 emissions are higher than Germany, United States and United Kingdom, and are second to only Luxemburg. Figure 1 World Development Indicators & Global Development Finance (2008) Figure 1 also illustrates that over twenty out of thirty of these countries are below 10 metric tons of CO2 per capita compared to the dramatically high 18.5 tons from Australia. Additionally to this, according to the ABC (Clarke, 2009) Australia’s CO2 emissions are set to keep rising. Rising CO2 emissions are the result of increasing economic output of the Australian economy. These CO2 emissions have risen to a level which is not socially efficient, and is damaging to Australia’s economy; they have risen to a level resulting in global warming. The negative externality of the markets inability to produce efficient CO2 outputs and a lack of property rights for atmospheric pollution is described by Helm (2010, p. 183) as “one of the biggest market failures”. The emitter of these Greenhouse Gasses (GHG) will face little or no economic incentive...
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...environmental risk factors and promote a much more natural efficient energy source. Renewable energy dates back to 1865 when Auguste Mouchout, a French inventor, was the first to successfully convert renewable energy. As many more inventions came upon there was one unique renewable energy source that has made a tremendous impact which would be the use of solar panels from solar energy. With the invention of the popular solar panels some may have believed this would be one of the worlds’ best inventions since the use of energy is part of our daily activities. However, we must consider a few features that it may serve economically. One is the cost for setup, operational, and personal use. The sunlight may be a free source, but the use of receiving its energy through solar are not. These panels can cost anywhere between $10,000 to $35,000 for a system. The geographical location for a solar system also varies as well. For example, Nebraska does not receive the same heat index as a state like California, so Nebraska would be able to purchase the system much cheaper. However, California will be able to save more year round tropical climate. Thus, the least amount of light equals the least amount of power so the efficiency that it supposed to serve is not that effective. Now with the impact the economy has faced with the lost of jobs, renewable energy has reopened many of those doors. In total there were 142,698 solar workers in the U.S. as of November 2013 (Runyon, 2014)...
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...dependency on conventional resources. Solar energy is rapidly gaining the focus as an important means of expanding renewable energy uses. Solar cells those convert sun's energy into electrical energy are costly and inefficient. Different mechanisms are applied to increase the efficiency of the solar cell to reduce the cost. Solar tracking system is the most appropriate technology to enhance the efficiency of the solar cells by tracking the sun. A microcontroller based design methodology of an automatic solar tracker is presented in this paper. Light dependent resistors are used as the sensors of the solar tracker. The designed tracker has precise control mechanism which will provide three ways of controlling system. A small prototype of solar tracking system is also constructed to implement the design methodology presented here. Index Terms:- MPPT I. INTRODUCTION Now a day’s electricity generation using solar mobile has been growing fast day today. In order to obtain solar energy as much as possible, the study of the efficiency for PV systems has attracted many researchers and engineers attention. In general, there are three methods to increase the efficiency of PV systems. The first method is to increase the generation efficiency of solar cells; the second one is related to the energy conversion system include maximum power point tracking (MPPT) control algorithms; and the third approach is to adopt solar tracking system to obtain maximum solar energy input from the sun. In...
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...ESTIMATION OF SOLAR ENERGY FOR STREET LIGHTS IN VIT ABSTRACT A solar lighting system which can make a 18x3 w lamp glow continuously for about (7) hours if the battery is fully charged has been constructed. Here, solar energy is collected with the aid of a solar panel and thus, a battery is charged during day time with the help of a simple charging circuit. During night time, this stored energy is used to light. The device can be used for small-scale lighting applications in remote areas that are far away from the power grid. The system has a panel to collect the sun’s energy, a battery to store that energy and a light source to use the energy. The system operates like a bank account. Withdrawals from the battery to power the light source must be compensated for by commensurate deposits of energy form the solar panels. INTRODUCTION Electricity is becoming costly every day; so many people are getting interested in using solar energy to fulfil their electricity needs. Power cuts and dependency on Generators is making people look for better sources. Solar Photo Voltaic panels provide a very good alternative way to fulfil their demand. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India is also promoting solar PV systems under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) in our country. They also provide subsidise solar panels under this scheme. There are so many people, interested in buying solar panels in India so we thought of doing a research on price...
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...FUTURE STATEMENT Solar Technology Although not widely used, I believe the future of Solar energy technology products such as Solar panels is bright. Solar technology is one of the green energy sectors that is making a lot of difference here at home and around world. For instance, the use of solar panels in homes is very popular in most third world countries since energy cost is expensive. The cost and accessibility of this technology is much easier than here in the U.S. For instance in Africa, the use of solar panels in homes is very common. Cheap imports from China have made it affordable for most home owners. The panels are easily available and are installed by contractors without any red-tape if the person can afford it. Although, most of these countries are poor and lacks basic infrastructures, solar energy has given them the opportunity to be less dependent on fuel imports and benefit the technological advantages of a clean energy economy. On the other hand, here in the U.S. the use of solar panels in homes is not as popular as other countries. The average American homeowner doesn’t know where to buy these panels or how to get them installed. Home buyers have the perception that solar panels are not affordable so they are reluctant to consider them as an option when they build or buy a new house. Furthermore, the burden of getting licensing and permit scares off a lot of homeowners who otherwise would have benefited from this green energy technology. Regardless, I am...
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...efficiency. The reason why the ballroom (which is mainly for accepting customers, holding banquets and arranging meeting and other versatile functions) is our target objective is that the ballroom has a high utilization rate compared with such like bedrooms and entertainment areas etc. Another reason is that the ballroom takes up the largest space among the single area in the hotel and the solar panels are going to be installed on the roof of the ballroom. As the electricity consumption varies from season to season in that during summers and winters, the peaks of consumption will occur, especially in the summer because the AC systems, including all refrigerating facilities, keep working for 24 hours. Meanwhile, considering different alternatives that may be used as the energy resource for the hotel, solar panels are suggested after these factors have been taken into consideration that the high utilization rate of the solar panel, no transportation fees for resources supply, low installation cost and last but not the lease, the efficiency and durability of both facilities and energy. These panels...
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