Sun

The sun is also a star .It is much bigger than ihe earth. It is huge ball of while hot gases .the sun gives us heat ,light and solar energy. The sun is star closest to the earth ADVANTAGES Sun is the ultimate source of power or energy. *Without sun, no life can exist on the planet earth as the autotrophs would be unable to synthesize food. So the heterotrophs, also would'nt survive. *The sun's gravity controls the planets' rotation,revolution and precession. *Plays an imp. role in maintaining climatic order in Earth.(winds,rainfall,temperature,humidity etc.)

DISADVANTAGE *It emits harmful UV rays. As the earth's ozone layer is depleting due to the accumulation of CFCs, these harmful rays penetrate the Earth's atmosphere and seriously affect our skin causing "skin cancer"! *Excessive amount of heat weakens our body which can function beneficially only at an optimum temperature. I nternal structure of sun

Composition of the Sun

Abundance Abundance (percentage (percentage Element of total of total number of mass) atoms) Hydrogen 91.2 71.0 Helium 8.7 27.1 Oxygen 0.078 0.97 Carbon 0.043 0.40 Nitrogen 0.0088 0.096 Silicon 0.0045 0.099 Magnesium 0.0038 0.076 Neon 0.0035 0.058 Iron 0.0030 0.14 Sulfur 0.0015 0.040 The Sun Composition of Earth's crust

Theory
Photons in sunlight hit the solar panel and are absorbed by semiconducting materials, such as silicon. Electrons (negatively charged) are knocked loose from their atoms, allowing them to flow through the material to produce electricity. Due to the special composition of solar cells, the electrons are only allowed to move in a single direction. An array of solar cells converts solar energy into a usable amount of direct current (DC) electricity.

Sunlight
Sunlight is Earth's primary source of energy. The solar constant is the amount of power that the Sun deposits per unit area that is directly exposed to sunlight. Solar energy can be harnessed by a variety of natural and synthetic processes photosynthesis by plants captures the energy of sunlight and converts it to chemical form (oxygen and reduced carbon compounds), while direct heating or electrical conversion by solar cells are used by solar power equipment to generate electricity or to do other useful work, sometimes employing concentrating solar power (that it is measured in suns). The energy stored in petroleum and other fossil fuels was originally converted from sunlight by photosynthesis in the distant past.

Observation and effects

The brightness of the sun can cause pain from looking at it with the naked eye, 4 milliwatts of sunlight to the retina, slightly heating it and potentially causing damage in eyes that cannot respond properly to the brightness Ultraviolet light from the Sun has antiseptic properties and can be used to sanitize tools and water. It also causes sunburn, and has other medical effects such as the production of vitamin D. Ultraviolet light is strongly attenuated by Earth's ozone layer, so that the amount of UV varies greatly with latitude and has been partially responsible for many biological adaptations, including variations in human skin color in different regions of the globe.

Solar Cell
A solar cell (also called photovoltaic cell or photoelectric cell) is a solid state electrical device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect. Assemblies of cells used to make solar modules which are used to capture energy from sunlight, are known as solar panels. The energy generated from these solar modules,

referred to as solar power, is an example of solar energy.

History of solar cells

The term "photovoltaic" comes from the Greek (phs) meaning "light", and "voltaic", from the name of the Italian physicist Volta, after whom a unit of elector-motive force, the volt, is named. The term "photo-voltaic" has been in use in English since 1849. Pakistan lies in an area of one of the highest solar insulation in the world. There are certain regions of south, Quetta valley and Central Punjab that receive maximum solar radiation, the nation wide average, however, has been recorded on daily basis as 5.5 KW/m this means means that there is a vast potential for converting the untapped solar energy source for useful means.

Solar Thermal
A number of solar thermal appliances including, solar water heaters, solar fruit and vegetable dryers, solar water distillation stills, solar room heating system, and solar cookers have been developed/fabricated by PCRET for domestic and commercial

purposes.

Solar Energy
There are two main techniques of power generation through solar radiation; one is Solar PV technology and other is concentrated solar power technology (CSP). The PV is the best suited for stand-alone power requirement of homes and offices. Solar Energy is abundant, freely available, widely distributed and can be converted into other forms of energy. The number of clear sunny days in the country varies from 250 in the northern region to above 300 days in most parts of the country. A number of solar thermal appliances including solar cookers, solar water heaters, solar fruit and vegetable dryers, solar

desalination stills and solar space heating system have been indigenous developed and locally fabricated by PCRET, other sections of PCSIR, NUST, COMSATS, GIK and different departments of Engineering Universities etc. Many N Gos are popularizing these

devices in the country.

SunPower Energy Management Services: Solar Energy Monitoring & Reporting Services for UtilityScale Solar Power Plants
To maximize your solar power system lifecycle investment, you need the right mix of operation and maintenance services to deliver optimized energy production and performance. SunPower Energy Management Services has managedphotovoltaic solar system O&M for over 10 years, with more than 500 facilities systems in operation around the world. We bring a total-system approach to PV energy management, so you get the knowledge, tools, and the team you need to deliver on your grid requirements and energy sourcing needs. Energy Management Services monitors, tracks and reports PV system performance and energy output. Our utility-grade preventive maintenance services identify problems before they occur to limit system downtime.

SunPower Performance Plus For Utilities

Maximize the efficient operation of your solar power system and minimize system downtime. The SunPower Performance Plus service package ensures each solar system component is operating at optimal level.

SunPower Long-Term Service Agreement

With a Long Term Service Agreement from SunPower in place, we respond to system outages with an on-call restoration and repair plan that ensures your solar power plant is back online and operating at full performance within hours.

Other Sections/Departments of Universities/institutions in Pakistan working

EME College NUST

EME College of NUST (National University of Engineering and Technology), Islamabad is working on the research and developments of Renewable Energy Technologies. It has installed a solar water heater of 40-ton/day capacities at Lahore, solar water pumping system and solar house electrification of 450 villages in FATA is being initiated from May 2009. Similarly, 50 units of solar/wind hybrid water pumping system and house electrifications in Kharan District of Baluchistan province are under progress. Twelve solar cookers and two solar dryers having capacity of 50 kg each at Azad Kashmir have been installed. The current research emphases.

COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT)

Physics Department of CIIT, Islamabad is working on Quantum dot solar cells, research is in the initial stage.

Advantages:
Solar energy is renewable unlike the conventional resources (coal, oil) which will inevitably run out. It will let the world be alive in a half a century! Non-polluting, no carbon dioxide like fossil fuels Free except for capital expenses. Longevity - solar panels can last over thirty years Low maintenance - solar panels require very little upkeep Independence - an off-grid system allows you to break free from the electrical grid Requires large areas of land to place the solar panels on. Costs a lot of money to produce the solar panels. The solar panels aren't that effective for now, they do not produce so much energy. Requires the sun, which lowers the productivity during the winter. Environmental friendly because the conversion of energy doesnt produce any carbon dioxide. It is renewable It comes from the sun, which, unless you are in The South or North pole, comes out almost everyday Solar power costs less and is better for the environment, compared to burning fossil fuels and other electrical power. sun is renewable You get full clean energy without harming the environment [in term of carbon emissions] , it's renewable [ u dont hv to pay for unlimited solar lighting ] in certain countries, an excessive power generated can be sold back to local electricity provider reduces pollution helps create jobs - shores up economy - to build -> you hire - innovate-maintain basically economic activities

 Once installed, the power is free It is environmentally friendly and no pollution is associated with solar power You can sell your excess power back to the power companies It can be installed anywhere You can use batteries to store power for use at night Energy from the sun is renewable, that is, it keeps on coming It is free It does no damage to the earth or its atmosphere It produces no carbon dioxide solar power is free (once the initial setup is complete) solar power is clean and green (no emissions, no carbon dioxide) solar power is renewable (we can use as much as we can today, and there's still plenty coming again tomorrow) solar power panels are small enough to fit on every rooftop in a city and so do away with the need for more power stations Solar cells last a long time, typically guaranteed for 20 or 25 years. renewable

Disadvantages:
Takes up a lot of space, Usually a high initial cost. Only works when Sun is shining. some days are not sunny It is very space consuming, because an average solar panel is 1-2' x 5-12'. It doesn't produce much electricity for one single panel. It is EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE, costing almost a $1000 for a single panel. Only areas of the world with lots of sunlight are suitable for solar power generation The major disadvantage of solar power or solar energy is the cost of the photovoltaic panels You need a lot of money to the installation of the solar energy. Least power energy at night time is another disadvantage of solar energy. There is no solar energy to be collected which means you'll have to have adequate battery backup to get you through the nights. if people invest money in them they can have a tendency to use energy more freely rather than continuing to try and be economical with resources as they feel they have "done their bit"