Solar Energy

This article is about all uses of solar energy. For generation of electricity using solar energy, see Solar power. Nellis Solar Power Plant in the United States, the largest photovoltaic power plant in North America.

radiant light and
heat from the sun,
has been
harnessed by
humans since
ancient times
using a range of
ever-evolving
technologies. Solar
radiation, along
with secondary
solar-powered
resources such as
wind and wave
power,
hydroelectricity
and biomass,
account for most
of the available
renewable energy
on earth. Only a
minuscule fraction
of the available
solar energy
is used.
Solar powered
electrical
generation relies
on heat engines
and photovoltaics.
Solar energy's
uses are limited
only by human
ingenuity. A partial
list of solar
applications
includes space
heating and
cooling through
solar architecture,
potable water via
distillation and
disinfection,
daylighting, solar
hot water, solar
cooking, and high
temperature
process heat for
industrial
purposes.To
harvest the solar
energy, the most
common way is to
use solar panels.
Solar technologies
are broadly
characterized as
either passive
solar or active
solar depending on
the way they
capture, convert
and distribute
solar energy.
Active solar
techniques include
the use of
photovoltaic
panels and solar
thermal collectors
to harness the
energy. Passive
solar techniques
include orienting a
building to the
Sun, selecting
materials with
favorable thermal
mass or light
dispersing
properties, and
designing spaces
that naturally
circulate air

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

GreenHouse Gases

A greenhouse gas (sometimes abbreviated GHG) is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect.[1] The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. In the Solar System, the atmospheres of Venus, Mars, and Titan also contain gases that cause greenhouse effects. Greenhouse gases greatly affect the temperature of the Earth; without them, Earth's surface would be on average about 33 °C (59 °F)[note 1] colder than at present.[2][3][4] Since the beginning of the Industrial revolution , the burning of fossil fuels has increased the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from 280ppm to 390ppm.[5][6] Unlike other pollutants, carbon dioxide emissions do not result from inefficient combustion: CO2 is a product of ideal, stoichiometric combustion of carbon. [7] The emissions of carbon are directly proportion...
Read more

Electric Car

The REVAi/G-Wiz i electric car charging from an on-street station in London. An electric car is a plug-in battery powered automobile which is propelled by electric motor(s). Electric cars have the potential of significantly reducing city pollution by having zero tail pipe emissions .[1][2][3] Vehicle greenhouse gas savings depend on how the electricity is generated. With the current U.S. energy mix, using an electric car would result in a 30% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. Given the current energy mixes in other countries, it has been predicted that such emissions would decrease by 40% in the UK,[8] 19% in China,[9] and as little as 1% in Germany.[10][11] Electric cars are expected to have a major impact in the auto industry [12][13] given advantages in city pollution, less dependence on oil, and expected rise in gasoline prices. [14][15][16] World governments are pledging billions to fund development of electric vehicles and their components. The ...
Read more