What Do We Use Solar Energy For?
Although our sun is about 93 million miles from Earth, it is a very powerful and useful star. The energy from the sun not only is needed for life, but it also can be used as a renewable source of energy. Energy from the sun can be harnessed to produce electricity, heat water and even power vehicles.
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Thermal Energy
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Energy from the sun can be converted into thermal, or heat, energy. Most commonly, this is used to heat water such as in a swimming pool. Solar thermal energy also can be used to heat water used by homes and to heat the air in homes and buildings. According to Solar Energy International, a home with an electric water heater spends 25 percent of its energy costs on just heating the water. A solar water heater can save 50 to 85 percent on a utility bill per year.
Electricity by Photovoltaic Cells
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Photovoltaic devices, also known as solar cells, directly convert sunlight into electricity. These cells absorb photons, which are particles of solar energy. The photons then release electrons, the negatively charged particles. These electrons naturally migrate to the surface of the photovoltaic cells causing a voltage potential, similar to a negative and positive terminal on a battery. A connection between the negative surface of the cell to the positive back of the cell allows electricity to flow.
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Electricity by Power Plants
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A solar energy power plant produces electricity for commercial use. There are several operational solar energy power plants in the United States, mostly located in California and Arizona. These power plants utilize the sun's energy to heat a fluid that produces steam. The steam is converted into mechanical energy in a turbine that powers a generator to produce the electricity.
Transportation
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Currently, most of the world's transportation runs on fossil fuels. However, as fossil fuel reserves run low or become too expensive to obtain, other fuel options must be explored. General Motors has created a car run from the power of the sun, called the Sunraycer. This car has hundreds of photovoltaic cells that turn energy from the sun into electricity to run the car and to charge a battery that can be used when the sun is hidden. Although more research needs to be done to make this option an efficient and economic way to fuel our vehicles, it is a promising technology.
Advantages
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The greatest advantage of solar energy is the fact that is produces no harmful pollution as a byproduct--no carbon dioxide, no nitrogen oxide, no sulfur dioxide. In addition, because energy from the sun is free, costs will be lower.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Flickr on Creative Commons
