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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.
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.
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.
