More Interesting Facts About Solar Energy You May Wish to Understand (Facts About Solar Energy)

Facts About Solar Energy
While there may be many interesting facts about solar energy, I want to share with you some of the solar energy facts that may be more helpful to you once you have taken the time to understand them. You may wish to let others know about this information, as well, simply, to do your share of helping others to learn more about solar power and the benefits that we can all derive from using alternative energy.

We have but one environment and we should all be doing at least a little bit in helping to conserve our natural resources and understanding how to use solar power is the first step in being able to make some kind of difference to our world.

Solar Energy Facts That Can Make A Difference

1. Solar cells or solar radiation is the energy that we can use to make alternative sources of power. We can take the power of the sun and use it for many different functions such as powering our homes or heating our pools. The technology of generating power from the sun is quickly advancing and it will soon be used world wide as a means of generating most of our electrical needs.

Many homeowners are already building their own solar panels to help cut the cost of the heating bills in the winter time. Some are even building solar panels that can be used to heat a swimming pool in the summer time.

2. Solar power has been in use for 1000's of years as seen in some of the architectural structures designed and used by The Greeks and The Chinese. We have seen an increase in the design of homes even more recently that are planned and built for harnessing solar power.

There are solar roof tiles that can also be used to help heat or cool your home as well. These are just a few solar energy facts that can make a difference to our environment.

3. Solar power is being used by farmers in order to help increase their harvest. Solar power is being used to help dry crops and also as a means to dry the manure that is used as a fertilizer in the fields before planting.

4. We have all seen green houses. These green houses are used to convert the sun's light into heat and humidity which enables plants of all types to be grown all year round in many areas.

In other words solar power is being used more and more as a means of generating all types of power and the technology for using solar energy is being developed quickly so as to help our environment. This technology is going to help us in turn to save some of our natural resources before we run out of them completely.

If we all do a little to help that can make a big difference.

I have only shared a few interesting facts about solar energy and alternative energy sources here but there is so much more that you can learn if you find solar energy facts to be of interest to you.

These are just some of the facts about solar energy, to learn more solar energy facts you can visit my site. Start doing your part to help save our planet

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ben_Tunk
Facts About Solar Energy

Interesting Facts on Solar Energy (Facts About Solar Energy)

Facts About Solar Energy
There's plenty of talk about solar energy these days and plenty of coverage in the media, but how many people know much, if anything, about solar energy.

Fortunately, more information is becoming available through conferences, seminars, news items, etc., and people can educate themselves via the internet if they're willing to make the effort.

In the meantime, here are some interesting facts on solar energy that may give you food for thought.

- The sun provides more power in one day than the entire human race uses in a whole year.

- Solar electricity is generated from the light of the sun, not the heat. Solar panels consist of a series of solar cells, and the solar cells work on the photovoltaic effect, in which sunlight reacts with certain materials, in this case silicon, to generate an electrical charge.

- A group of panels is known as an array.

- Electricity generated by solar panels is direct current (DC). Homes connected to the grid use alternating current (AC), so solar electricity must be converted from DC to AC before it can be used in homes.

- Since solar panels are modular, a homeowner living on the grid can choose to start with a small system, supplying only a percentage of the electricity they need, and later add panels to increase the amount of electricity coming from solar.

- Net metering allows homeowners connected to the grid to feed solar electricity into the grid when not needed for withdrawal later, a bit like having an energy bank. The utility will pay for any unused electricity.

- Solar panels are very durable and carry warranties of up to 25 years.

- Solar panels are very sensitive, and any kind of shading from buildings or the overhanging branches of trees can seriously reduce the efficiency of the panels.

- If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, PV (photovoltaic) panels should ideally be placed facing south to make the most of the available sunlight; in the Southern Hemisphere, the reverse is true.

- PV panels generate electricity even in cloudy conditions, even though the rate of production is reduced.

- If you live in a remote location several miles from the nearest utility, it can cost up to $20 per foot to run power out to your location, so going solar would probably be a cheaper option, especially in the long-term.

- Off-grid systems need batteries to provide power at night and during cloudy days; batteries are optional for on-grid owners, who may decide to add them in case of blackouts or for emergencies.

For people interested in investing in solar energy, it's very important to get the facts ahead of time so they go into it with their eyes wide open and equipped to make an informed decision. Here are some interesting facts on solar energy to get you started.

Get all the information and facts you need about going solar, along with a FREE report by clicking on the only solar power resource you'll need. Ray Boreham suggests you'll find a wealth of information and tips on solar and renewable energy at http://www.all-you-need-is-solar.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ray_Boreham
Facts About Solar Energy

Fun Facts About Solar Energy

Facts About Solar Energy
There are a lot of cold, hard facts about solar energy out there, but what about fun
Facts About Solar Energy?

While solar energy and its related renewable energy cousins, such as wind, geothermal and hydroelectricity, are serious business and options that are being looked at as potential saviours of our planet as we look at a future that has the specter of global warming hanging over it, that doesn't mean to say there's not a lighter side to solar and renewable energy.

Sometimes you've just got to have a bit of fun and let off some steam in amongst all the serious business of saving money and preserving the planet, so let's do just that and take a look at some fun facts about solar energy.

1. Solar energy is available to us in 2 forms - light and heat.

2. When you open your drapes in the morning to let some light in, did you know that you're also heating up your home?

3. The speed of light is 186,282 miles per second and it takes light approximately 8 minutes to reach Earth. So, light covers the distance of over 90 million miles from the sun in less than 10 minutes!

4. Particles of light are called photons.

5. The "photovoltaic effect" was discovered in the 19th century by French physicist, Edmund Becquerel, when he noticed that when light struck a semiconductor material such as selenium, it generated a small electrical charge.

6. The word photovoltaic is a combination of the words "photon", meaning, a particle of light, and "volt", being a measure of electrical force.

7. Modern solar cells operate using the photovoltaic effect, with silicon acting as the semiconductor.

8. Next time you eat Pringles chips, don't throw the tube away. You can use it to heat hot dogs! It's true. All you need is the can, a skewer (slightly longer than the can), copier transparency and Scotch tape. Cut a rectangular opening about 6 inches by 3 inches in the middle of the can so as to create 2 flaps. Pull the flaps back and cover the opening with the transparency. Put a hole in the metal end of the can and one in the plastic top. Thread a hot dog onto the skewer and put the skewer inside the can so one end goes through the hole in the metal end and then thread the hole in the plastic top over the other end of the skewer, so that the skewer with the hot dog on it is suspended in the middle of the can. Take the cooker out and place it in direct sunlight, adjusting it now and again to make sure it's tracking the sun, and, within 30 minutes or so, you should have a freshly cooked hot dog!

9. In the 19th century, John Herschel, a British astronomer, cooked food using solar thermal heat while on an African expedition (The question is, what did he cook?!!??! A hot dog?).

10. Solar panels and solar collectors are not the same. A panel converts sunlight to electricity and a collector absorbs heat which it transfers to air or liquid.

11. The sun beams down more energy in 1 hour than the whole planet can use in an entire year.

12. Solar energy is used to power more than 10,000 houses in the U.S.A.

In the serious world of solar, a world that sometimes takes itself a bit too seriously, it's good to let off steam and lighten things up a bit and just have some good old fashioned fun. Hopefully, these facts made your solar day a bit more fun.

If you've had enough fun for now and you're ready to get involved in the Green Revolution, but you want more information and/or help getting started, including a FREE report, Ray Boreham invites you to click through to the only solar power resource you'll need. You'll find a wealth of information and tips on solar and renewable energy at http://www.all-you-need-is-solar.com/.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ray_Boreham
Facts About Solar Energy

Facts About Solar Energy

Facts About Solar Energy

You have likely been told many times different facts about solar energy. Of course, it is hard to know which are actually "facts" and which are more like opinions.

This article is going to relay to you some of the top facts about solar energy. It will delve into not just positive facts about solar energy, but negative ones, as well. Are you ready? Here we go:

Facts about solar energy (in no particular order):

· Solar energy is a renewable resource (it may go away at night, but we will always have it.)

· Solar energy will not pollute our air with carbon dioxide and other harmful greenhouse gases and bad emissions.

· Solar energy can be used to heat water, dry clothes, heat swimming pools, power attic fans, power small appliances, produce light for both indoors and outdoors, and even to power cars, among other things.

· In 1990, a aircraft powered solely by the sun crossed the United States.

· Solar energy products can be very expensive. The initial cost is, perhaps, the main disadvantage of solar energy.

· You need a relatively large area to install solar panels if you want a good level of efficiency.

· Depending where you live (Arizona vs. Alaska, around many shady trees or in the desert, etc.), you will get different results with solar energy systems.

· Of course, once you install the products, they can be very inexpensive to run. In fact, energy from the sun is free.

· If you have a really good solar energy system, one that produces even more energy than you use, your utility company can buy it from you.

· When you use solar energy, you are making you and your home independent. You do not need to depend on foreign or other sources of energy which can raise their costs quickly.

· To run a solar energy system, you do not even need to connect to a gas or power grid.

· Solar energy cannot be produced at night or if there is a lot of pollution in the air or clouds over the sun.

· Of course, realize that you can have a battery backup system with your solar energy system that will take care of the problems that could arise when the sun does not rise, so to speak.

· You can install solar energy in remote locations.

· If there is a power outage, you can still have electricity!

· As your energy needs grow, you can add more solar panels

· Solar panels operate silently.

· Solar powered cars are not yet up to par with other cars. They have a much slower speed.

· Solar energy systems require very little maintenance and will last for a long time.

· Technology for solar energy is constantly improving.

Those are just a few facts about solar energy. I hope that they were helpful!

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for websites on gardening, parenting, the enviornment, fashion, and home decor. Her background includes teaching and gardening. For more of her articles on solar power, please visit Solar Home.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anne_Clarke
Facts About Solar Energy