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Solar Energy 101 |
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Solar energy is the rays of light that reach the earth from the sun. The rays also can turn into heat.
Learn more: National Renewable Energy Laboratory - Solar Energy Basics |
Applications
Solar energy can be used to produce heat or electricity. Heat (or thermal) energy can collect passively. Passive solar design lets houses collect solar heat in winter through southern-facing windows and rock or brick to capture and radiate the heat. In summer, an overhang will protect the home from too much sun. No mechanical system is involved. Active solar heating also gathers sunlight and converts it to heat, but involves a fan or pump to move the heat to a chosen destination. Solar energy can be used to generate electricity. By concentrating light into a central area where it becomes heat, water can be turned into steam and used to turn turbines. Photovoltaic (PV) cells or panels can be placed in sunlight, converting the rays directly into electricity.
Learn more: U. S. Department of Energy - Solar Energy Technologies Program
U.S. Department of Energy - Solar Energy Technologies
Environmental
Solar energy is collected quietly. It does not rele`ase emissions into the air or hazardous chemicals onto the land or water. While construction of the system does involve the use of hazardous materials, it is less than those that would result from the use of fossil fuels. Because sunlight is not concentrated at any one point, large areas must be covered to collect an adequate supply of it, although constructing them on preexisting buildings reduces this impact.
Learn more: Solar Energy Development Environmental Considerations
Economic
Solar energy creates jobs that can be located in the United States. Initial costs are very high, but once the project is completed, the production of energy can begin recouping those costs. Because it uses no fuel, solar panels are not subject to fuel price spikes. Using the energy near the site of production reduces the chance of a transmission failure. Solar projects allow for great flexibility in terms of the size of project.
Learn more: U.S. Department of Energy - Why PV Is Important to the Economy
 Installers-Interested in installing a turbine? Check out our business directory. History
Solar energy has been used for thousands of years. At first, the sunlight was used to burn things to create fire. Later on, people learned to build their homes facing south, to maximize the amount of sunlight reaching them. In the 20th century, photovoltaic cells were developed and used to generate electricity from the sun. PV panels became an important part of space travel, powering satellites in space. Today the technology continues to develop.
Learn more: U. S. Department of Energy - The History of Solar Timeline [pdf]
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Case Studies and Examples National Geographic: Solar Tech Video Green Energy Ohio: Passive Solar Case StudyThe In My Backyard (IMBY) tool estimates the electricity you can produce with a solar photovoltaic (PV) array or wind turbine at your home or business. Homeowners, businesses, and researchers use IMBY to develop quick estimates of renewable energy production at locations throughout the continental United States, Hawaii, and northern Mexico. IMBY uses a map-based interface to allow you to choose the exact location of your PV array or wind turbine. Based on your location, system size, and other variables, IMBY estimates the electricity production you can expect from your system. NREL's PVWattsTM calculator determines the energy production and cost savings of grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) energy systems throughout the world. It allows homeowners, installers, manufacturers, and researchers to easily develop estimates of the performance of hypothetical PV installations. The PVWatts calculator works by creating hour-by-hour performance simulations that provide estimated monthly and annual energy production in kilowatts and energy value. Users can select a location and choose to use default values or their own system parameters for size, electric cost, array type, tilt angle, and azimuth angle. In addition, the PVWatts calculator can provide hourly performance data for the selected location. Solar Lesson Plan and Videos (along left hand side) Solar Applications Video (specific to PA) [.mov] |
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