THE SOLAR ENERGY

INTRODUCTION
Most of the people are looking in this time for alternative energies because
of the big cost of the non-renewable sources.
HISTORY
The solar power has its origins in 1876 when William Grylls Adams
discovered that when the selenium were exposed to the light, it produced
electricity. These cells werent efficient, but the light, without heat or moving
parts, could be converted into electricity
In 1953, Calvin Fuller, Gerald Pearson, and Daryl Chapin, discovered the
silicon solar cell that produced enough electricity to run small electrical
objects.
In 1956, the first solar cells are available commercially. Also the solar cells
started to be used in toys and radios. These were the first to have solar cells
available to consumers.
In early 1960s satellites in the USA and Soviets space program were
powered by solar cells.
In early 1970s solar power was the standard for powering space bound
satellites and a way of lower cost of solar cells was discovered. It brought
the price down around 80$ the price of the watt.
From 1970s to 1990s we saw a quite change in the usage of solar cells,
which started to be used in railroad, remote places to power homes,
Australias microwaves towers to expand their telecommunication
capabilities
Today we can see solar cells in a great variety of places, such as solar
powered cars or in an aircraft, that has flown higher than any other aircraft.
Recently new technology has given us screen printed solar cells, and a solar
fabric that can be used to side a house. International markets have opened
up and solar panels manufactures play a key role in the solar power
industry.


1. THEORICAL BASIS.
HOW IT WORK?
Our planet revice all the time sun beams so we create artificially cells that
catch the photons and simulate the photosynthesis of the plants.
In the surface of these cells its where they impact the beams and are absorved,
by materials semiconductors like the silicon.
The photons heat to the electrons keeping free them of the atoms which the
concerned. So the electrons starts to move around the material, creating the
electricity.
The panels are fulls of this cells called photovoltaic panels. This panels are
connected to a battery which keep the electricity that has been made. The
electricity cant be use just in the moment that its create because it has to be
transformed and stabilized to a standardized voltage, so for this we use the
accumulators.
We can collected also the solar power in caloric way with caloric collectors,
solar ovens or with thermoelectric panels.

CLASIFICATION(I)
Depending how to arrive the solar radiation:
Solar direct radiation: is the one which arrives with out have any
changes in his direction.
Solar diffuse radiation: It is the one that comes after having crossed
the clouds and to go in all the directions
Solar reflected radiation: it is the one which is reflected by the earth
surface
Global radiation: is the total radiation, the addition of the other three
types of solar radiation.
CLASIFICATION (II)
How the different techonologies works converting, catching and distribute the
solar energy:
ACTIVE: Is solar energy that is converted into useable energy that
requires a mechanical device in order for it to be consumed as
active solar energy. For example; water heating, cooling systems,
furnish electricity.. etc. All these device capture solar energy and
convert it into different forms of usable energy.
PASSIVE: Is the use of the natural occurrence of solar energy,
rather than it being converted into another form. For example; green
houses use passive solar energy by trapping the heat inside the
green house which is then used to help grow the plants. Not
conversion of energy is required.

TYPES
The solar energy has different types :

1. Solar thermal: means generating electricity from the heat of the
sun. its used to heat cold water for the sanitary use and
heating.
2. Solar photovoltaics: It consists of the direct transformation of
the solar power of electric power by means of the use of solar
cells.
3. Thermoelectric solar: use the heat of the sun to produce
electricity.
FACILITIES
DOMESTIC INSTALLATIONS
The various uses of solar energy in homes:
Solar energy converted into electricity through solar energy collectors may be
used to meet many needs in a home. For example, you can get hot water for
domestic use, to heat our homes and even to heat swimming pools.

Similarly, cooling is another application of solar energy. For cold they must have
a warm source, which can be provided by solar panels installed on the roof of a
house.
At present the main devices used using solar thermal energy are water heaters
and solar cookers. Also, this source can be used in small devices such as
chargers, watches and calculators.
INSDUSTRIAL INSTALLATIONS.
Solar energy can be applied in industrial processes leveraging the same solar
technology used domestically. The potential is huge because around 30 % of
the necessary process heat requires temperatures below 100 C , which is
within the range in which the home is solar thermal .

Solar Energy Industry

With high-performance solar collectors we can produce heat at temperatures up
to 150 C with excellent performance . For many industrial processes, heat is
needed at higher temperatures. Among these processes of industrial use can
be found: the generation of steam , washing , drying , sterilization ,
pasteurization , the liquid heating bath to cycles of washing, dyeing , chemical
treatments , warm air drying cycles generation low pressure steam for various
uses , etc .

The production of cold by absorption chillers and other thermal equipment is
another large field of applications, with the added advantage of the coincidence
of peak demand with maximum insulation .

It is noteworthy that there is a device concentration that was originally created
for use in fixed solar cookers in developing countries , but due to its high
technology, in combination with a simple construction , a public planes and high
performance , is spreading as steam generation technology for industrial
processes. This solar thermal concentrator is called Schffler .

2.ADVANTAGES OF THE SOLAR POWER
Is complete renewable resource. This means that ever when we can not
make use of the suns power because of night time or cloudy or storms
days, we can always rely or the sun showing up the very next day as a
constant and consistent power source.
Solar cells make absolutely no noise at all. They do not a single beep
while extracting useful energy from the sun.
Solar energy creates absolutely no pollution
Solar powered panel are extremely easy to install
Solar power technology is improving consistenly over time, as people
beging to understand all of the benefits offered by this incredible
technology.

3.DISADVANTAGES
HIGH COST
The equipment has a very high prize
Expensive materials to produce the cells
Great economic initial investment
Solar panels need maintenance
SPACE
Sollar power installations take up quite a bit of space
Need enough flat space to have a useful installation
It produce an enormous impact in the landscape
WEATHER
Energy changes on the stations so its an energy that can not be use
single.
Solar panels have problems in places where it is rain or where there are
heavy pollution
DISPOSAL
Solar cells and batteries are made up of toxic chemicals
The batteries and the solar cells produce an environmental impact
OTHERS
The price of the generated KWH is higher than in other energies.
Desert places are sources of mayor solar radiation and they are removed
from the areas of consumption.
4. WHERE THEY ARE
In the engine of electric cars.
In toys with movement (robots, cars)
In the engine of electric planes.
In the solar panels of houses.
In the electric circuit of cities.
In the solar industries of producing energy.
The main countries which produce the solar power: China, EEUU, Germany,
Spain, Japan, India, Italy, Brazil and France.
5. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.
The sun provides a tremendous resource for generating clean and sustainable
electricity without toxic pollution or global warming emissions.
The potential environmental impacts associated with solar power land use
and habitat loss, water use, and the use of hazardous materials in
manufacturing can vary greatly depending on the technology, which includes
two broad categories: photovoltaic (PV) solar cells or concentrating solar
thermal plants (CSP).
Although solar energy is considered to be one of the cleanest and renewable
sources of energy among the available sources but is has some environmental
impacts too. Solar energy uses photovoltaic cells to produce solar power.
However, manufacturing the photovoltaic cells to produces that energy requires
silicon and produce some waste products. Inappropriate handling of these
materials may lead to hazardous exposure to humans and the environmental.
Installing solar power plants may require large piece of land, which may impact
existing ecosystems.
Solar energy does not pollute the air when converted to electricity by solar
panels. It is found in abundance and does not help in warming.

6.COST
The total cost of solar energy system is made up of multiple factors.
The panels themselves are one portion and the balance-of-system (BOS) is
another part of the cost. The BOS is essentially everything other than the solar
panels, the electrical wiring components, the construction equipments, the
inverter or microinverter and the labor cost to install.
The national average cost per watt is somewhere between 6$ and 8$ dollars.
The cost of your solar system will also depend on the design and location of the
system (so you can estimate how many hours a day the sun shines).
Of the total cost:
Equipment cost: 45%
Installation cost: 25%
Operational cost: 30%

7. MISCELLANEOUS
Video cosas que explotan
Maqueta solar
Juego(pictionay)
Hybrid solar energy
solar energy combines with others energy. Advantages:
You can increase the power on demand.
It is less dependent on fluctuations in solar radiation.
You can increase the performance of the
thermodynamic cycle of the system with increasing
temperature.
The investment in the plant can be recovered before.