Types of Solar Energy Technology

Introduction:

Man has used the sun's energy for thousands of years, from ancient Greece (7^th Century B.C) where magnifying lenses were used to light bonfires projecting the sun's rays, passing through Da Vinci and his inventions, to its application in space engineering in the 60s to powering spacecraft, today it is intended to be used as energy for domestic use.

The energy that comes from the sun can be obtained in two different ways:

1. It can be through mirrors, which redirect the solar rays to a heat receptor that generates steam and moves a turbine that produces electricity.

2. And also through photovoltaic solar panels formed by solar cells that transform light (photons) into electrical energy (electrons).

 

How solar energy would work in a house?

To power a house, first the solar rays are captured by the panels, generating a direct current (DC) that goes to the charge controller, then this energy is stored in a battery bank, and then passed to an inverter that converts direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC), which is what is used to power the entire home.

What are the types of solar energy Technology?

The term solar energy simply refers to the energy that comes from the Sun, usually in the form of heat or light. Much of the energy we use today can come from the sun.

Biofuels like ethanol and wood are the result of plants that use energy from the Sun to grow.

The winds are the result of the thermal differences produced by the Sun around the Earth that cause air movements that are captured by wind turbines.

Even fossil fuels like oil and coal are the result of plants converting light into energy accumulated millions of years ago. These plants then died, were buried underground and gradually mutated into fossil fuels.

So if most of the energy comes from the Sun, then what does it mean when we say solar energy?

Well, solar energy technologies are those that convert sunlight directly into usable energy, like electricity. They do it without weighing millions of years for transformation.

There are two main technologies that are used to convert sunlight into electricity (solar panels) and to concentrate sunlight.

Solar energy can also be used to heat buildings directly without conversion to electricity.

 

Solar Photovoltaic Technology:

Photovoltaic solar energy is what most people think of when someone says “solar energy” or “solar panels.” The word photovoltaic comes from the Greek word for light and the word volt, the unit of measurement of electricity. That is exactly what the panels do – they transform sunlight into electricity.

The scientific principle that makes solar panels work (the photovoltaic effect) was discovered in 1839 by Alexandre-Edmond Becquerel, a French physicist, but it was not until 1940 that the first solar panel was actually manufactured.

Today solar panels have become an integral part of the energy mix used at all scales from family homes to large generation facilities.

Residential solar generation is the fastest growing segment in the industry as the cost of installing and using electrical panels has dropped dramatically and many more people have become aware of the benefits of solar homes.

In fact, it is estimated that there are enough roofs to supply about 40% of the electrical energy demands of families. Since fuel is free, all that clean energy has the potential to generate huge savings on utility bills.

 

Concentrated Solar Energy Technology:

The second type of technology for generating solar energy is concentrated solar energy. This technology uses reflectors (similar to mirrors) to concentrate sunlight on a small and highly efficient collector where a fluid (water, salt or synthetic oil) that is heated and produces steam, which is used to drive an electrical generator.

Concentrated solar power plants operate on a large scale, the smallest generally 1000 times the energy generated by the average home. But concentrated solar power plants take a long time to install, much more space than solar panels, and cost hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars to build.

 

Solar Thermal Technology:

Solar heating does not convert light into electricity instead they provide direct heating to buildings. The heaters pass water through solar collectors where the light heats it and then returns to the building.

Solar energy can also be used to control the temperature in buildings without any special equipment.

When you put your armchair in the Sun near a window to read your favorite book you are using solar heating.

The strategic use of sunlight can improve comfort, architects can design rooms with specific orientations and materials to improve comfort. When this type of design is combined with solar panels it is possible to achieve a zero carbon building.

Today solar energy is easier to use than ever.

Innovations and improvements in harnessing solar energy continue to advance at an incredible pace, more than Edmond Becquerel thought was possible when he set out to convert sunlight into electricity more than a century ago. But even with all these developments, much of the energy available to us today uses the same basic principles that Becquerel discovered.

We have made it cheaper and more efficient to install solar panels and that is why solar systems are adopting so fast.

After all, it only takes a day to set up a solar system to harness the energy that the sun gave us millions of years ago.

 Also Read: International Solar Alliance (ISA)

What are the benefits of solar energy?

• It is Renewable. 
• It is inexhaustible.
• It does not contaminate the environment.
• Reduces the use of traditional fuels.
• Helps prevent global warming.
• Avoid energy imports.
• Contributes to sustainable development.
• It is modular and very versatile.

 

Currently there are different types of companies that have been working on solar energy projects, for example Google launched the Sunroof Project, which consists of measuring the amount of solar energy that falls on the roof of your house during a year, and thus know how much money you could save if you use more solar energy than traditional energy. It also offers help to install solar panels in your home if you liked the idea.

There are also different gadgets that work on solar energy, for example lamps, keyboards, locks, flashlights, backpacks and more, even transparent solar panels have been developed for smartphones, which would allow the battery to be charged through the sun's rays.

Also Read : Solar Energy