The use of renewable sources of electric power has been on the rise for some time now. Sustained efforts by environmentalists aimed at discouraging the use of fossil based fuels. Wind and solar are the two most common forms of renewable energy all over the world due to the ease with which they can be found. If they intend to use solar energy Missouri residents should understand beforehand.
There are two main ways of getting electricity from the sun: a direct and an indirect approach. The direct approach involves the use of photovoltaics (solar cells). These are designed in a manner that enables them to convert sunlight to electric current directly. The alternative method us known as solar power concentration or SPC. In this approach, mirrors and lenses are used to traps sun rays and focus them into a single thermal beam that is in turn used in electricity generation.
The use of this kind of electric power was initially restricted to smaller appliances used in remote areas (such as calculators). The next frontier was the use of this modality to power residential homes found in areas that are not connected to the grid. Today, this option has grown and is now used to power commercial entities alongside the traditional fossil-based fuels. Many countries have launched huge projects in a bid to reduce over-dependence on petroleum.
The process by which photovoltaic cells produce electric power is called the photovoltaic effect. The process creates direct current (DC) whose stability is greatly influenced by fluctuating sunlight intensity. There is a need to make it more stable by converting it to alternating current (AC). This is achieved with the use of special converters within the cells. As a result a fixed voltage and frequency of AC current can be obtained.
SPC requires the use of special collectors. One such collector is the parabolic trough. In the collectors are a number of mirrors and lenses. A series of mirrors and lenses produces a thermal beam that is used to heat fluid. Steam is produced from this process and used to turn turbines. Thermal energy may be stored for close to 24 hours hence electricity generation can occur around the clock.
Hybrid systems are becoming increasingly common due to their greater efficiency. Such systems contain both photovoltaics and CSP features. More advanced systems even have a different sources of energy such as biogas, wind or diesel which ensures that electricity generation is faced with very few interruptions. Thermoelectric devices facilitate the switch from one mode to another depending on the intensity of the sun. Hybrid systems have particularly useful on islands.
Statistics show that the use of solar power has been growing by 40% since the year 2000. The main regions where most of this growth has been taking place are the United States, Asia and Europe. In the next thirty years, close to one third of world electricity consumption is projected to originate from solar sources. 16% of the energy will be in the form of photovoltaic sources and 11% will be from CSP.
The growth of solar electric power uptake is driven by two main factors: environmental sustainability and economics. Renewable sources are considered to be clean and produce very little carbon emissions if at all. Since they can be easily obtained and harnessed from the natural environment, they are cheaper than fossil fuels contributing huge savings both in the commercial and residential settings. Additionally, individual citizens producing their own electric power can sell excess power to the government.
There are two main ways of getting electricity from the sun: a direct and an indirect approach. The direct approach involves the use of photovoltaics (solar cells). These are designed in a manner that enables them to convert sunlight to electric current directly. The alternative method us known as solar power concentration or SPC. In this approach, mirrors and lenses are used to traps sun rays and focus them into a single thermal beam that is in turn used in electricity generation.
The use of this kind of electric power was initially restricted to smaller appliances used in remote areas (such as calculators). The next frontier was the use of this modality to power residential homes found in areas that are not connected to the grid. Today, this option has grown and is now used to power commercial entities alongside the traditional fossil-based fuels. Many countries have launched huge projects in a bid to reduce over-dependence on petroleum.
The process by which photovoltaic cells produce electric power is called the photovoltaic effect. The process creates direct current (DC) whose stability is greatly influenced by fluctuating sunlight intensity. There is a need to make it more stable by converting it to alternating current (AC). This is achieved with the use of special converters within the cells. As a result a fixed voltage and frequency of AC current can be obtained.
SPC requires the use of special collectors. One such collector is the parabolic trough. In the collectors are a number of mirrors and lenses. A series of mirrors and lenses produces a thermal beam that is used to heat fluid. Steam is produced from this process and used to turn turbines. Thermal energy may be stored for close to 24 hours hence electricity generation can occur around the clock.
Hybrid systems are becoming increasingly common due to their greater efficiency. Such systems contain both photovoltaics and CSP features. More advanced systems even have a different sources of energy such as biogas, wind or diesel which ensures that electricity generation is faced with very few interruptions. Thermoelectric devices facilitate the switch from one mode to another depending on the intensity of the sun. Hybrid systems have particularly useful on islands.
Statistics show that the use of solar power has been growing by 40% since the year 2000. The main regions where most of this growth has been taking place are the United States, Asia and Europe. In the next thirty years, close to one third of world electricity consumption is projected to originate from solar sources. 16% of the energy will be in the form of photovoltaic sources and 11% will be from CSP.
The growth of solar electric power uptake is driven by two main factors: environmental sustainability and economics. Renewable sources are considered to be clean and produce very little carbon emissions if at all. Since they can be easily obtained and harnessed from the natural environment, they are cheaper than fossil fuels contributing huge savings both in the commercial and residential settings. Additionally, individual citizens producing their own electric power can sell excess power to the government.
About the Author:
When you are searching for the facts about solar energy Missouri locals can come to our web pages here. More details are available at http://sunspireenergy.com now.
0 commentaires:
Enregistrer un commentaire