Solar Energy Has Many Uses

Solar energy is the sunshine and the heat from the sun, is free and is infinite. All living matters on earth depends on it. Solar energy induce no air and water pollution, but there is still some impacts on the environment although indirect.

Photovoltaic cells (solar panels) used to convert sunlight into electricity uses silicon that also produce some waste materials. There are also large solar thermal farms and these farms can also be harmful to the environment and desert ecosystems if not properly managed.

Solar energy has many uses, for example, in agriculture. Greenhouses convert solar light to heat to enhancing the growth of plants and crops. Greenhouses has been around since the Roman times, today’s modern greenhouses were first built in Europe in 16th century. Greenhouses are still an important part of horticulture nowadays,

Daylight systems are being used in homes and businesses to maximize the energy released by the sun. It is used to provide interior illumination replacing the artificial lighting. Daylight systems include sawtooth roofs, light shelf, skylights, and light tube. Daylight systems when they are properly applied can cut down lighting-related energy consumption by as much as 25 percent.

Solar energy can also be formulated into solar thermal technologies which can be used for water heating, space heating, space cooling and process heat generation. Solar energy can also be used to distill water and make saline or brackish water potable or drinkable.

The solar water disinfection or SODIS involves exposing water-filled plastic polyethylene terephthalate or PET bottles. This process takes a long time, since the exposure time varies on the weather conditions. It requires at the least of six hours to two days during days with overcast conditions. Today, there are more than two million people in developing centuries use SODIS for their daily drinking water needs.

As well sunlight can be converted into electricity using photovoltaics or PV. PV has been mainly used to power small electronics like a calculator powered by a single solar cell to homes and businesses using solar panels. Using solar energy for water and space heating is the most widely use application of solar energy. While ventilation and solar air heating is also growing in popularity.

Solar cells, also called photovoltaic or photoelectric cells are use to convert sunlight directly into electricity. Also, solar furnaces use a huge array of mirrors to concentrate on the Sun’s energy into a small space and produced very high temperatures. Solar furnaces are also called “solar cookers”. A solar cooker can be used in hot countries to prepare food.

With all the benefits if using solar energy, there is still a downside for this alternative energy source. It does not work during night time. The cost of setting up solar systems is expensive, but the benefit of using solar energy when cumulated is so much more especially with decreasing prices as more users opting to use this source of renewable energy.