Solar power - A great free source of energy

Solar power is energy which comes from the sun. This energy is very powerful and hits the earth regardless of whether or not we take advantage of it. In fact, the sunlight that shines on the Earth in just one hour could meet world energy demand for an entire year! And just incase you get that question when you are playing Trivial Pursuit "Solar" is the Latin word for "sun." We can use solar power in two different ways: as a heat source, and as an energy source.

Uses of Solar power.

• Solar Cells: In a sunny climate, you can get enough power to run a 100W light bulb from just one square meter of solar panel. Also known as photoelectric or photovoltaic cells, these are the most common devices that turn sunlight into electricity. Solar cells are combined into modules of which solar panels are comprised.
• Solar water heating: Heat from the Sun is used to heat water in glass panels on your roof. Solar water heating is easily worthwhile in places like California and Australia, where you get lots of sunshine. Mind you, as technology improves it's becoming worthwhile in the UK, where the sun does not come out as much. 

• Solar Furnaces: Huge array of mirrors are used to concentrate the Sun's energy into a small space and produce very high temperatures. There's one at Odeillo, in France, used for scientific experiments. It can achieve temperatures up to 3,000 degrees Celsius. Solar furnaces are basically huge "solar cookers" which can be used to cook food. This small space of concentrated energy creates an extreme amount of heat which can be used for making electricity, melting steel, or creating hydrogen fuel.
• Solar energy is also frequently used on transportation signaling e.g. offshore navigation buoys, lighthouses, aircraft warning lights on pylons or structures, and increasingly in road traffic warning signals.

Solar's great benefit here is that it is highly reliable and requires little maintenance so it's ideal in places that are hard to get to.

Advantage of Solar Energy:

• Solar energy is a completely free and inexhaustible fuel source
• No fuel, waste, or pollution is expelled in its usage.
• Solar cells are totally silent. They can extract energy from the sun without making a peep. So no noise pollution too.
• In remote areas, or small villages, solar power can be the saving grace.
• It can be used for low-power purposes as well as larger ones- from battery chargers, hand-held calculators, and solar powered garden lights to air conditioning, cars, and satellites.
• Solar cells require very little maintenance and they last a long time.
• Sunlight is provided regardless of whether we use it or not. There is no need to process sunlight beyond the amount which a solar cell or solar collector is capable of doing.
• Although solar panels or solar lights, etc., may be expensive to buy at the onset, you can save money in the long run. After all, you do not have to pay for energy from the sun. On the other hand, all of us are aware of the rising cost of oil.

We've used the Sun for drying clothes and food for thousands of years, but only recently have we been able to use it for generating power. So why not start making the must of something that is free!

(Sources: solarhome.org, home.clara.net, ezinearticles.com)