Solar energy

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What is solar power? Solar power is energy from the sun and without its presence all life

on the Earth would end. Solar power is produced by collecting sunlight and converting it

into electricity. According to scientists, it is the most powerful energy source on

the Earth. European Renewable Energy Council (EREC) predicts that by 2040

the world's largest share - 27.4 percent of all electricity will be generated by solar power. They predict that even after 30 years, 82 percent of all electricity will be produced from various renewable sources, mainly solar and wind.

Electricity generation

There are two ways to use solar energy to generate electricity:

Photovoltaic technology (PV) Concentrating solar thermal technology (CST)

Photovoltaic technology PV converts sunlight directly into electricity. The sun illuminates

the solar cells, which convert the energy from the sunlight into electricity. The electricity goes into an inverter and into the power lines to your home. However, solar panels are only effective during daylight hours because storing electricity is not a particularly efficient process

Photovoltaic power plants

82 MW Senftenberg Solar park, Germany 80 MW Solar park Finsterwalde I,II,III, Germany

Photovoltaic power plants

70 MW Rovigo PV power plant, Italy 84 MW Montalto di Castro PV power plant, Italy

Photovoltaic power plants

Solar park Gabardan in France (44 MW) Solar farm Les Mées in France (31MW)

Advantages of using solar power

Energy is free Energy is independent. Solar batteries

equipment lets us become independent from General Electric Networks and save money.

Energy is ecological. Solar batteries don’t pollute environment because their materials are clear and recycled easily.

Energy is longevous (long term used). Solar cells can be installed in all the

objects that use electricity.

Disadvantages of using solar power

A large number of panels may be necessary to produce sufficient amounts of heat or electricity, requiring a significant financial investment.

Parts of the world that don't receive large amounts of sunlight are not well-suited to the generation of this type of power.

Solar panels cannot be used to generate power at night and the production of power may be impaired when there is significant cloud cover.

Use of solar power Measuring Stations TV and radio

transmitters and amplifiers

Use of solar power Control devicesTraffic

Railway

Use of solar power Telemetry Calculators

Use of solar power Satellite, space

stations Bicycles

Use of solar power Power stations Buildings, their

heating, light and constructions.

Solar power innovations. Solar cars

Solar cars produce energy from the sun converting it into electricity. That electricity fills the battery that runs the car's motor. Instead of using a battery, some solar cars direct the power straight to an electric motor. Solar cars can get this energy through photovoltaic cells (PVC).

Lunokhod Solar panels are used in

creation of lunokhods. Usually high-efficiency photovoltaic (PV) cells are located on top of the lunokhods, they charge the batteries so that lunokhods can move.

Space stations Double-sided solar, or

photovoltaic arrays, provide electrical power for the space stations. These bifacial cells are more efficient and operate at a lower temperature than single-sided cells commonly used on Earth, by collecting sunlight on one side and light reflected off the Earth on the other.

Solar powered containers and backpacks

Solar powered containers handle garbage more efficiently by periodically compacting the trash inside, creating space for more garbage.

A solar powered backpack is a green gadget. The photovoltaic panels in a solar powered backpack collect energy from the sun to power a variety of electronic devices, including laptops, cell phones and music players.

Solar windows The window lets in less light,

while still being transparent, so buildings get needed shade during hot sunny hours, reducing their air conditioning use and making the building more energy-efficient. At the same time, the panels produce solar power, which the building can use for electricity.

Solar powered gadgets The companies Apple and

Samsung are already planning to offer gadgets that are charged by solar energy.

Engineers created solar powered yacht Turanor fitted with 536 square meters of photovoltaic panels, which has successfully sailed halfway around the world.

In Switzerland was created first solar-powered glider (airplane) „Solar Impulse“.