Solar Energy Systems

The technology of obtaining energy from the light of the sun is called Solar power system. Solar cells take the energy from sunlight and convert it to energy.
This is done with semi-conducting materials like These solar cells cannot produce usable energy by themselves, so they have to be connected to other systems to carry the electricity generated.
Photovoltaic (PV) systems are grid-tied or off-grid systems.

The difference is that a grid-tied system can feed energy back into the power grid, utilizing the grid for storage. The off-grid system’s energy must be used as it is produced or stored via on-site battery.
When the sun is shining, the photovoltaic panels generate direct current (DC) electricity, which is converted to alternating current (AC) electricity by an inverter. With grid-tied systems, when the sun is not out, your electrical demand will be automatically provided by the utility.

Off-grid systems depend on energy stored on on-site batteries to deliver power when the system is not producing enough power.
The solar electric systems work on photovoltaic principle. The heart of the system is the solar cell. The single crystal silicon solar cells convert solar energy directly to electricity.

This electricity then charges the battery through a battery charger. The electrical energy thus stored in the battery is then utilized through inverter (DC to AC) or converter (DC to DC) for various purposes such as lighting, pumping and running of the TV.
A solar lantern works on photovoltaic energy. It consists of photovoltaic module, CFL tube (Compact Flurescent Light), inverter, electronics, battery and protection system. It is available in 6 W / 7 W capacity.

The light output from a 5 W / 7 W solar lantern is around 230 / 370 lumens which is equivalent to five times that of the conventional light.
A solar domestic light can be used for the lighting requirements in houses.

It consists of photovoltaic module (18 W / 37 W / 74 W), CFL of 9/11 Watts, inverter, electronics, battery, protection system etc. Depending upon different configurations, the domestic light can be used for three to four hours. It can run the D.C. fan too.

The lightoutput from 9/11 Watt CFL is around 600/900 lumens respectively which is equivalent to five times the output from the conventional light.
The solar streetlights are suitable in remote areas, fields and other applications where light is required throughout the night.

It consists of photovoltaic module (37/74 Watts), CFL (11 Watts), battery, inverter, electronics, controls, poles and other hardware. Due to control electronics, the streetlight gets automatically switched ON at dusk, operates throughout the night and automatically gets switched OFF at dawn.

Solar Energy

The Solar Energy is the sun’s rays (solar radiation) that reach the earth. The solar energy can be converted into other forms of energy such as heat and electricity.
Solar power can be converted to thermal energy and used to heat water – for use in homes, buildings or swimming pools and to heat spaces – inside greenhouses, homes and other buildings.
The solar electrical systems work on photovoltaic principle.

A simple photovoltaic system is like any other electrical power, generating device except that the equipment used is different from that used in conventional electromechanical generating systems.

The principles of operation and interfacing with other electrical systems remain the same and are guided by a well-established body of electrical codes and standards.

The main systems distributed in the field are streetlights, domestic lights, water pumps, lanterns, electrical fencing, battery charger and village lighting systems.

It is always better if these systems are used without battery storage unless it is a must.
A solar domestic light can be used for the lighting requirements in houses.

It consists of photovoltaic module (18 W / 37 W / 74 W) CFL of 9/11 Watts, inverter, electronics, battery, protection system etc. Depending upon different configurations, the domestic light can be used for three to four hours. It can run the D.C. fan too.

The light output from 9/11 Watt CFL is around 600/900 lumens respectively which is equivalent to five times the output from conventional light.
The solar streetlights are suitable in remote areas, fields and other applications, where light is required throughout the night. It consists of photovoltaic module (37 / 74 Watts), CFL (11 Watts), battery inverter, electronics, controls, pole and other hardware.

Due to control electronics, the streetlight gets automatically switched ON at dusk, operates throughout the night and automatically gets switched OFF at dawn.

The light output from 11 Watt CFL is 900 lumens which is equivalent to five times that of the conventional tube.
Solar Lantern works on photovoltaic energy.

It consists of photovoltaic module, CFL tube (Compact Flurescent Light) inverter, electronics, battery and protection system. It is available in 5 W / 7 W capacity.

The light output from a 5 W / 7 W solar lantern is around 230 / 370 lumens which is equivalent to five times that of the conventional light.

Simple Solar Energy

A Solar lantern is a simple application of solar photovoltaic technology, which has found good acceptance in rural regions where the power supply is irregular and scarce. Even in the urban areas, people would prefer a solar lantern as an alternative during power cuts because of its simple mechanism.
A solar lantern is made of three main components – the solar PV panel, the storage battery and the lamp. The operation is very simple. The solar energy is converted to electrical energy by the SPV panel and stored in a sealed maintenance-free battery for later use during the night hours. A single charge can operate the lamp for about 4-5 hours.
Besides the solar lantern, a solar cooker is also a simple application of solar photovoltaic technology. A solar cooker is like a hot box, in which we can cook our food without any cooking gas or kerosene, electricity, coal or wood. We donot need to spend even a single paise on fuel. The cooker works with the solar energy, which is available free.

In a solar cooker, we can boil, bake and roast and in a cooker for domestic use, we can cook food for four to five persons. Bigger size solar cookers are also available for cooking food upto 15 persons.
Solar street lighting system is designed for outdoor application in unelectrified remote rural areas. This is an ideal application for campus and village street lighting. The system is provided with battery storage backup sufficient to operate the light for 10-11 hours daily.

The system is provided with automatic ON/OFF time switch for dusk to dawn operation and overcharge / deep discharge prevention cut-off with LED indicators.

The SPV modules are having a service life of 15-20 years. Tubular batteries provided with the solar street lighting system require lower maintenance, have longer life and give better performance as compared to pasted plate batteries used earlier.
Home lighting systems are powered by solar energy using solar cells that convert solar energy (sunlight) directly to electricity. The electricity is stored in batteries and used for the purpose of lighting whenever required.

These syste4ms are useful in non-electrified rural areas and as reliable emergency lighting system for important domestic, commercial and industrial applications. The SPV systems have found important application in the dairy industry for lighting milk collection / chilling centres mostly located in rural areas.

Residential Solar Energy

Yes solar energy is nice and clean. Agreed it is useful and shows promising future. But how can I, a common man use this so called renewable source of energy in my day-to-day life. How can I use solar energy for my residential uses?
Let us see how. There a number of daily appliances that are now working on solar energy instead of the traditional conventional sources. The Solar-Cooker, Solar Water Heater, Solar dryers are the most common of them. Let us consider a few more of the residential solar energy appliances, which are a dream child of the various technologists, engineers, scientists working for harnessing it to maximum.
Portable Emergency Light & Mini Lantern
This portable device uses the solar energy for indoor and outdoor lighting. The sun’s rays are absorbed by a solar photo-voltaic panel which converts light energy into electricity, which is then stored in the battery box. In the evening or night, the lantern can be switched on and used as required. The consumed energy is again recharged the following day. Thus the Lantern is a self-operating and reliable unit with no recurring fuel cost
Solar Street Light
Solar Street Light System is a system, comprising of a compact fluorescent lamp, lead acid battery, PV module’s, electronics inter connecting wires or cables, module mounting hardware & a battery box. The Street Light works on 12V, 75 Am Battery backup, which is charged by two Solar Photo-voltaic Panels of 37 Watts each. It can work for three sunless days, and operates automatically from dusk to dawn. A maximum distance of 15 meters between two street lights should be maintained.
Solar Street Light is protected from the battery over charging and over discharging, and from over load. These indications are provided on the battery box itself. The battery box is painted on the outside with corrosion resistance paint and on the inside by acid resistance paint. The street Light requires practically zero maintenance.
Solar Inverter
The Solar Inverter comes with the choice of charging of batteries by both solar as well as mains utility (Hybrid Version), with automatic change over from mains to battery and from battery to mains like a regular inverter. It employs an inverter circuitry, two-level battery charging from mains, Solar Charge Controller and fast change over mechanism during power failure and resumption. The unit comes with built-in protection against dangerously high mains voltages up to 400V, thereby protecting the precious electrical load connected.

How Solar Energy Works

Solar energy is the energy from the sun to which we are endowed with. It is the power which is free and inexhaustible. It is the cleanest of all energies, for it is produced by the sun.
But, have you given a thought and asked a question about how it works. For al those who have not done that and therefore, are unaware of it, this short article maimed a helping hand to you.
It is an energy resource that serves as an alternative option to fossil fuels which are not so good for our water and air. As you know, they are a threat to human life. Besides, this leads to one of the factors that causes global warming. Our children and future generations will be affected if we do not make use of this resource. And, when it is widely available, then, not using it means great injustice to the future generation. All the life on earth is supported by the solar energy and it is the underlying root for almost all the energies we use.
The plants grow with the help of sun which make its way to get burnt in the form of biomass fuel. Else, they are compressed underground for millions of years or they are left to rot in swamps. Temperature differences happen due to the heat generated by the sun.. Wind is produced due to the sun which power turbines.
Due to the sun, water gets evaporated and falls on high elevations. Then, rushing down to the sea, it spins hydroelectric turbines as it passes.
But, mostly solar energy represents the manner in which energy of the sun can be made use to directly produce heat, lighting and electricity.
However, the sun generates radiant energy by consuming hydrogen in nuclear fission reactions. Then, this energy is transferred to the earth in chunks of energy named as photons. They react with the earth’s atmosphere and surface.
It takes 8 minutes and 20 seconds for the energy of the sun to reach out to the earth. Solar energy is received and collected by the earth in the atmosphere, oceans and plant life.
The reaction between the sun energy, the oceans, and the atmosphere, for instance generates winds that can endow electricity when directed through aerodynamically designed wind machines.

How Solar Energy Is Easily Renewed

Solar energy, as we all know is the energy we receive from the sun. It is the most effective form of energy. It is a great alternative to fossil fuels which is causing harmful effects to our body.
Global warming could be curbed with the help of solar energy. Then, it is also a renewable source of energy. Have you ever given a thought about how is solar energy renewed? For all those people who have not given such a thought, it is time for you to peep inside this tiny article which may help you a bit.
Renewable energy effectively makes use of natural resources such as sun, wind rain, tides and geothermal heat which are naturally replenished. Most of the renewable technologies are directly or indirectly operated by the sun. The sun is the main cause of renewing the energy.
That means as far as it is shining, the energy can be sustained. The earth-atmosphere system is in equilibrium such that radiation produced by heat into space is equal to incoming solar radiation. The resulting level of energy within the earth-atmosphere can roughly be described as the earth’s climate. The water absorbs a major fraction of the incoming radiation.
This energy is spread all across the globe in the form of winds and ocean currents though it is absorbed at low latitudes around the equator.
In the process of shifting mechanical energy between the atmosphere and the ocean through wind stress, wave motion really plays a handy role. The distribution of precipitation which is tapped by hydroelectric projects is also the responsibility of solar energy.
Besides, this energy is responsible for the growth of plants made use to create bio fuel.
IN the basic sense, renewable energy includes natural phenomena like sunlight, wind, tides and geothermal heat. According to the International Energy
Agency, renewable energy is derived from natural resources that are replenished constantly. In its various forms, it derives directly from the sun, or from heat generated within the earth. Included in the definition is electricity and heat generated from solar, wind, ocean, hydropower, biomass, geothermal resources, and bio fuels and hydrogen derived form renewable resources. All these sources have their individual and unique characteristics which influence how and where they are made use.

How Is Solar Energy Harnessed?

Every year the Earth receives energy in abundance. This energy drives processes in the atmosphere that cause the wind and waves. Some energy is absorbed by green plants and used to make food by photosynthesis. So, ultimately, the Sun is the source of most energy resources available to us, including fossil fuels.
Solar energy can be used to heat a fluid such as water in solar collector panels. Simple types use flat collector panels mounted on a south facing roof or wall each with transparent cover to harness sunlight.
Water circulates through channels or pipes inside each panel. The inside is usually painted black, because black surfaces readily absorb heat. The water is heated, then the hot water is pumped to a heat exchanger that extracts the heat for use within the house.
Solar energy can also be used to generate electricity in photovoltaic (PV) cells. A PV cell may power your calculator.
Photovoltaic cells are made of semiconductors, similar to those used to make computer chips.
The Sun’s energy can be collected / harnessed anywhere, but more can be gathered in areas on or near the Equator.
It is advantageous that solar energy is renewable, non-polluting and relatively maintenance free.
“Solar Energy” implies a potential for directly heating or generating electricity by harnessing the energy radiated from the sun. In the broad sense of the term, solar energy also includes wind, wave, biomass and fossil fuel energy as well. All these forms of energy originated as solar energy.
The Sun’s radiation arrives at no cost and is available during any clear day. More energy from the sun falls on the earth in one hour than is used by everyone in the world in one year. The Sun is an immense fusion reactor. Fusion simply means that hydrogen atoms are combined to make helium. This occurs on the sun because it is very hot. The sun is very hot because fusion releases a great quantity of heat. That is why fusion is called a chain reaction.
The sun’s nuclear fusion process converts 508 million tons of hydrogen into 504 million tons of helium every second. The remaining 4 million tons of matter are converted to energy, making the core temperature of the sun extremely hot.

Home Solar Energy Systems

Solar energy is produced when sunlight is used to generate electrical energy. Photovoltaic panels use silicon cells, which transform solar radiation into direct current. The energy is used simultaneously or is stored in batteries to provide electricity.
Solar energy can also be used to cook food by trapping and concentrating the sun’s heat in a cooker and to heat water or to generate steam which in turn can be utilized for mechanical applications. This is usually done by flat plate collectors which is expose a large thin surface, containing a liquid to the sun. The sun’s heat can be intensified with lenses and mirrors and stored in salts and stones.
India is making its mark in solar energy development and use. India lies in the sunny regions of the world. Most part of the country receives 4 to 7 kwh of solar radiation per square meter per day with 250 to 300 sunny days in a year. This make India potential area in solar energy. As a result solar energy development is seen all over the country.
A Solar lantern works on photovoltaic energy. It consists of photovoltaic module, CFL tube, inverter, electronics, battery and protection system. Broadly, the following home solar energy systems /products are available in the market:
Solar PV Module
Solar Lantern – Sunny / SunLite/DeLite
Solar Power Pack – I Green
Solar Home System -HomePower
Solar PowerSystem – SunPro
Solar Generator – SolGen
Solar Street Lighting System – Suntron 11 W /11W Duo / 18W/18W Duo etc.
Solar Power Flasher – Flasher
Solar Garden illuminating System – Garden illuminating System
Solar Water Pumping System
Solar Charge Controllers
Solar Charge Controllers
Solar Home Controllers
Solar Lighting Controller
Indoor Lighting Luminary
A solar domestic light can be used for the lighting requirements in houses. It consists of photovoltaic module (18 w / 37 w \ 74 w), CFL of 9/11 watts, inverter, electronics battery, protection system etc.
The solar streetlights are suitable in remote areas, fields, and other applications where light is required throughout the night. It consists of photovoltaic module ( 37 / 74 watts), CFL (11 watts), battery, inverter, electronics, controls, pole and other hardware. Due to control electronics, the streetlight gets automatically switched ON at dusk, operates throughout the night and automatically gets switched OFF at dawn.

Uses of Solar Energy

We know today that there are multiple uses of solar energy. We use the solar energy every day in many different ways.
When we hang laundry outside to dry in the sun, we are using the solar heat to do work, drying our clothes. Plants use the solar light to make food. Animals eat plants for food. And as we learned, decaying plants hundreds of millions of years ago produced the coal, oil and natural gas that we use today.
Very often there is confusion about the various methods used to harness solar energy.
Energy from the sun can be categorized in two ways – one is in the form of heat (or thermal energy) and the other is in the form of light energy.
Solar thermal technologies uses the solar heat energy to heat substances (such as water or air) for applications such as space heating, pool heating and water heating for homes and businesses. There are a variety of products on the market that uses solar thermal energy.
Often the produces used for this application are called solar thermal collectors and can be mounted on the roof of a building or in some other sunny locations.
The solar heat can also be used to produce electricity on a large utility scale by converting the solar energy into mechanical energy.
So, fossil fuels is actually solar energy stored millions and millions of years ago.
Indirectly, the sun or other are responsible for all our energy.
Even nuclear energy comes from a star because the uranium atomsused in nuclear energy were created in the fury of a nova – a star exploding.
Solar energy has a variety of uses. These include running a remote home, water heating, solar energy centres and efficient fuel. Solar cookers are an excellent way to indicate that we are using direct solar energy.
Solar Lanterns used by us are indicative factors that we are using solar energy.
Solar energy is consumed in the form of our using solar street lights. We have been using solar energy in the form of solar domestic lights.
By using solar power for water heating, we can have an almost zero cost swimming pool or hot water supply. Solar panels are installed on the roof and a duct is installed.
A transfer fluis is run along the duct from the panels to water and the heat energy is exchanged between the two.
So, instead of having high electric bills due to keeping our pool warm during the winter months or if it is cold all year around, we have ben trying solar powered heated systems.

What Is Solar Energy?

Sun is the source of all energies in this planet earth. This energy which is endowed by the sun is known as solar energy. This energy sparks off weather, climate and virtually all life on earth.
The most of the available flow of renewable energy comes from the heat and light. Also, solar based resources like those of wind and wave power, biomass and hydroelectricity also are the causes for renewable energy.
The energy of the sun is harnessed by the solar energy technologies for practical ends. Ever since the Greeks, Native Americans and Chinese were into being, the solar technologies were made use of.
It helped them in warming their buildings by orienting them towards the sun. Heating, electricity, lighting and even flight are some of the gifts endowed by modern solar technologies. Solar power is made use synonymously with solar energy.
It refers to the conversion of sunlight into electricity. With the help of photovoltaic effect, this is made possible.
Else, it can be done by heating a transfer fluid to generate steam to function the generator. Solar photovoltaic generate 0.04% of the world’s total energy usage in 2004. Our earth gets 174 peta watts of incoming solar radiation that is also known as insolation at the upper atmosphere.
Six percent of the insolation is reflected and 16 percent is taken in or absorbed. Clouds, dust and pollutants are such average atmospheric conditions that further diminish insolation traveling through the atmosphere by 20 percent due to reflection and 3 percent via absorption.
These conditions diminish the quantity of energy reaching the surface of the earth.
Also, they diffuse approximately twenty percent of the incoming light and filter portions of its spectrum. Approximately half of the insolation after going through the atmosphere is in the visible electromagnetic spectrum with the other half mostly in the infrared spectrum.
With the help of atmospheric convection, the absorption of solar energy affects the water cycle and winds. They get affected also because of the evaporation and condensation of water vapor. Sunlight is taken in by the oceans, plants and land masses after reaching the surfaces.
The thermohaline cycle is driven by the energy captured in the oceans.
Thus, solar energy is the driving force behind the ocean currents like those of thermohaline cycle and wind driven currents such as Gulf Stream. Besides, all the food we eat, wood we build with, and fossil fuels we make use are products of photosynthesis. For further information, you can check websites pertinent to solar energy.