Solar Energy

Solar energy is a source of sustainable energy obtained from the sun. Similar to wind power or power obtained from sources of water, solar energy is renewable energy which can be readily obtained and used instead of the more limited petroleum resources. The power obtained from solar sources can be routed to transformers where it can be converted into electricity and then fed into the National Grid and used everywhere that conventional sources of energy can be used.

As solar power is a sustainable power source it is non-toxic and free of pollutants. As fossil fuels become scarcer and more expensive sustainable fuels have become more attractive and many governments are adding series of solar panel farms to their electrical networks. Solar energy is a particularly attractive option in developed countries where scarce resources of fossil fuels are expensive and in inaccessible places where it is difficult for conventional sources of power to extend.

Solar panels, consist of solar cells pointed towards the sun to obtain energy released from the sun which is converted into solar power. There are different kinds of solar panels – those used to provide electricity through the application of photoelectric appliances and solar thermal panels that heat air and liquid for both residential and commercial uses. Power obtained from photoelectric sources is converted into electricity through photovoltaic cells which utilise silicon as semiconductors turning solar energy into electricity.

Although the use of photovoltaic cells is a cost-effective and viable alternative to fossil fuels, there is still the disadvantage of having to provide innumerable solar panels to provide an adequate supply of electricity or sufficient amounts of heat. Some countries do not experience much sunlight, possibly making them less suitable for harnessing solar energy. Too much cloud cover would have a similar effect. It is also not possible to exploit the use of solar panels during hours of darkness. However, apart from these minor disadvantages, solar energy is very much a viable alternative to conventional fuels and becoming much more generally used, with solar panels often incorporated in the roofs of new-build houses and, in California, utility bills have been cut by more than 50%.

Photovoltaic panels incorporate silicon-based photons to generate power through a network system similar to the conventional electricity grid. The Department of Energy acknowledge that by installing and fitting solar energy panel systems into residential homes it is thought to be cost-effective in terms of electricity costs saved over a period of 12 years. They expect solar energy to be in general use by 2020 when a third generation of solar energy cells will be in universal production, expected to be based on nanotechnology and multifunction photovoltaic cells, still at the research stage, with the second generation of solar energy cells being well on their way to becoming successful in harnessing solar energy and reducing residential fuel costs.