What Are the Advantages of Solar Energy?
Solar power is the use of the Sun's radiant energy and heat which are harnessed by a wide range of evolving technologies including solar photovoltaic systems, solar thermal power, solar architecture, photochemical heat generation, artificial photosynthesis, solar heat exchange, gasification and fuel cells. The technology to harness the energy from the Sun has been around for thousands of years. In modern times it has had a resurgence in popularity owing mainly to the large scale installation of solar panels in many South African communities (and, indeed, in other parts of the world).
The Sun is an extremely efficient source of energy and in fact, provides more energy than all the world's nations together produce every year. This is one of the reasons why solar power and renewable energy are becoming so popular worldwide. In this respect, it is much like wind power where there is a certain amount of initial cost but with large returns. Like solar power, the use of fossil fuels such as coal and crude oil has also a negative environmental impact; however, unlike coal and oil, solar power does not deplete the Earth of its non-renewable resources such as uranium, petroleum and coal.
One can harness the energy from the sun in several different ways. While solar power has been used for air conditioning and for powering small appliances such as radios, cars and even satellites, there are some drawbacks with this technology. The major drawback is that it converts light into electricity, thereby reducing the amount of natural energy available from sunlight. Even though research and development are ongoing to find better alternatives to electricity produced this way, solar power is still being heavily targeted by some countries, primarily for its lack of availability.
Another drawback is that solar technologies still need to find better ways to capture the sunlight and turn it into electrical current, otherwise there will be a serious shortage in supply. These two factors, along with the ongoing concerns over energy security, have resulted in a lot of research and development in alternative electricity solutions that do not require the conversion of sunlight into electricity.
Photovoltaic (PV) cells, one of the most common types of renewable energy generators, use semiconductors such as semiconductor diodes to convert sunlight directly into electricity. Typically PV cells are grouped in a frame that consists of thousands of them. PV cells are made out of materials such as silicon, which is the most commonly used material for solar power generators because of its high conductivity. Another material that can be used is indium phosphide, which is often mixed with silicon.
Another type of renewable energy generation is a magnet generator. This type of solar power generator uses the magnetic force created by the movement of magnets to move electric motors. There are many advantages associated with the use of such technology. For one thing, the motion of the magnets is generated using nothing other than the sun, thereby eliminating the need for fuel. Additionally, there is no pollution since no fuel oil is used.
On the other hand, solar farms are another popular type of solar power generation technology that converts sunlight into energy for sale to electric companies. These solar farms are often found in rural areas, where sunlight is abundant. The advantages of this kind of energy source are many. Among them are the following: it can greatly reduce electrical costs; it creates no pollution, and it is easy to construct and maintain.
