Only a very small percentage of the solar energy is able to be collected. Estimates range from 5 – 15%. How do we capture and use that energy? There are two basic categories: active and passive.

Actively Collecting Sunlight

Active methods of collection and use include using solar thermal collectors, photovoltaic panels for solar energy collection, pumps, and fan systems. The equipment used to run these can be electrical or mechanical, but the end result is a system has been manufactured to collect and process sunshine.

Passive Collection For Buildings

Passive collection is the opposite. It means taking advantage of the natural properties of sunlight. For example, it could be placing a new building in the right direction to take advantage of the sunshine, using materials that have light dispersing properties, or designing places that offer good air circulation. These are generally measures that are done at the architecture and building stage, and are intended to provide life-long savings to the building owners.

And The Award Goes To. . .

So which wins between active and passive? They have different functions. Active is usually considered the “supply side” of the equation. It’s the part that provides more energy to the building and its people. On the other hand, passive solar methods reduce the need for other resources and energies, and are considered “demand side” methods. Both work well together, and should be considered whenever their use is warranted.

Now, let’s take a look at photovoltaics – also known as solar energy panels – and how and where they are used.

Agriculture – All About The Sun!

One prime place that solar energy panels have been used is in the field of agriculture and horticulture. The more efficiently growers can use the energy of the sun, the greater their yield will be. There are many passive methods incorporated, such as staggering heights between rows, timed planting cycles, etc. Some areas with a much shorter growing season have used “fruit walls” to help collect solar energy. These help keep the plants warm and extend the growing season in a passive manner.

Solar energy has also been used for pumping water, brooding chicks, and drying crops. A prime use of solar energy panels in recent years is to run grape presses at vineyards.

Turning On The Lights – Naturally

“Daylighting” systems use sunlight to meet the needs for illumination inside buildings. This effectively replaces artificial lighting, and also reduces the need for air conditioning. There are many psychological benefits to working under natural lighting (rather than artificial lighting) and

While much of a daylighting system is passive, incorporating careful window choices, etc., in some places solar energy panels collect the sunlight during the day to use throughout the building after the sun goes down.

In Hot Water?

Solar energy panels are very useful when it comes to heating water. Whether for inside the home for out in the pool, solar energy panels can greatly decrease the cost of heating water for all uses.

You can find out where to buy solar energy panels cheap at the link at the top of this website. You can get started building your own solar power generators for under $200.

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Factors In Favor Of Solar Power

Obviously, energy from the suns the ultimate “renewable.” You can generate it whenver the sun is shining or even on cloudy days. No one can claim that we’re running out of it, or that we need to conserve it. In fact, those ideas make us laugh! The sun will always be there, sending out its energy to the earth. All we have to do is capture and use that energy. You can build a cheap solar power generator. Also, solar power has only benign impacts on the environment.

Solar energy has wide acceptance in the public. Though not a high percentage of the public is actually using solar energy power, they do have a positive feeling towards it, and many people think that they will use it in the future. The public likes that there are few risks from solar energy power, also.

Solar energy power can be used in the individual home. There’s no way you could have a nuclear reactor to give your home nuclear power, and coal in your home can be very messy. But having solar energy panels is uncomplicated and non-hazardous.

In theory, large solar collectors in the desert could increase the productivity of land by shading areas otherwise too hot for use. This land could be used for ranging animals or other things.

Having solar collectors close to the point of use can eliminate a lot of the energy transportation and distribution networks. Currently, about 70 percent of the cost of energy is in the distribution alone.

But There Are The Down-Sides

Unfortunately, not all aspects of solar energy power are positive. Most of those downsides are monetary.

To start up a solar energy power system for a home is initially expensive, making it out of reach for many homeowners. Buying and building solar collectors are
Using the solar thermal energy is generally more expensive than other conventional methods currently in use. Prices are going down all the time. You can now get started for around $200.

Also, in order to collect enough solar energy, it requires quite a bit of land space.

What about cloudy days? On them, there is little or no solar energy collected, and the weather is unreliable in some locations. This used to be the case but in Germany they generate solar power even on cloudy days and in the US we get more sunshine throughout the year.

Solar energy is not power in its original form – there must be some form of conversion before it is usable.

The efficiency of current solar collectors is quite low. Only a small percentage of the sunlight that hits a collector is able to be turned into energy.

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Solar thermal collectors use the energy of the sun to heat fluids like water and oil. They use plastic tubing, coils and hoses in the panel. The liquid flow through the coils and is warmed by the sun. These panel types are perfect for swimming pools, spas, tubs and hot water for home and businesses. Also, by using baseboard heating units and hot water flooring systems, it can enable you to heat interiors. In this manner, an additional heating fuel is not required. However, the system needs motorized pump to disseminate fluids.

Solar photovoltaic cells produce DC (direct current) electricity. A semi-conductor material is used in the panel that acts together with the sunlight to create electricity. This can be used to power up your computers and other appliances or even the whole of your house. The electricity generates only during day time when exposed to sunlight.

If you want to use the system at night or during cloudy days, it is better to store the electricity in a battery storage system. Lead-acid batteries are not expensive to use, but you need to fill them with distilled water to maintain their charge. There are also batteries that are expensive and need not require maintenance to retain the charge. There are also batteries that are suitable for cold climates. It is because of its freeze resistance.

Glass panels are used to both thermal collector and the photovoltaic systems. They both require access to direct sunlight. Ideally, panels should be placed facing south and exposed to sunlight the whole day. It can be used anywhere provided that they have access to sunlight. However, this is inefficient to a place where people experience cloudy days most of the time.

Backup generator is needed even in sunny places. In order to maintain your green lifestyle, you need to fuel them with bio diesel. Generators can be used if battery storage fails and cloudy days occur.

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