BY SIDDHARTH & IRFAN

Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar energy technologies include solar heating, solar photovoltaic, solar thermal electricity and solar architecture, which can make considerable contributions to solving some of the most urgent problems the world now faces. Solar technologies are broadly characterized as either passive solar or active solar depending on the way they capture, convert and distribute solar energy. Active solar techniques include the use of photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors to harness the energy. Passive solar techniques include orienting a building to the Sun, selecting materials with favorable thermal mass or light dispersing properties, and designing spaces that naturally circulate air.

1 . Non polluting: no noise, no harmful or unpleasant emissions or smells. 2. Very reliable: most solar panels have a 25 year warranty and even a longer life expectancy (the theory is they could last 100 to 125 years). 3. Although we cannot utilize the power of the sun at night or cloudy days, we can count on the sun being there the next day, ready to give us more energy and light. 4. Solar modules over their lifetime produce more power per gram of material than nuclear power but without the problem of large volumes of environmentally hazardous material. 5. Solar panels produce more power within 5 years than the power consumed in their production. 6. Solar Power is a renewable energy source. It is a resource that cannot be used up by us using it. 7. Although solar panels may be expensive to buy, you will save money and our environment in the long run.

One of the main disadvantages is the initial cost of the equipment used to harness the suns energy. Solar energy technologies still remain a costly alternative to the use of readily available fossil fuel technologies. As the price of solar panels decreases, we are likely to see an increase in the use of solar cells to generate electricity. A solar energy installation requires a large area for the system to be efficient in providing a source of electricity. This may be a disadvantage in areas where space is short, or expensive (such as inner cities). Pollution can be a disadvantage to solar panels, as pollution can degrade the efficiency of photovoltaic cells. Clouds also provide the same effect, as they can reduce the energy of the suns rays. This certain disadvantage is more of an issue with older solar components, as newer designs integrate technologies to overcome the worst of these effects.

How It Works ? Solar energy is harnessed and used through a process using photovoltaic cells, also known as solar cells. These cells or panels are usually made up of two types of silicon. Sunlight is made up of little units of energy called photons . The solar cell is made up of negative and positive layers, which create an electrical field. When the photons hit the surface of the solar cell, the electrons inside the energy from the sun are freed, pass to the bottom of the cell, and flow through to whatever requires power. This flow of electrons is what we know as electricity.

Fast Facts on Solar The sunlight that reaches the earth is about 200,000 times the total electrical energy generated by humans everyday! The first working solar cell was invented by Charles Fritts in 1883 and operated at 1% efficiency. The word photovoltaic , the proper name for solar cell, comes from the Greek word for light, which is combined with the name Volta, the last name of the scientist after whom the measurement unit volt is named. All together the word photovoltaic means light electrical or electricity from light. Every minute, enough solar energy reaches the Earth to meet global energy demands for a year.

A solar panel (also solar module, photovoltaic module or photovoltaic panel) is a packaged connected assembly of photovoltaic cells. The solar panel can be used as a component of a larger photovoltaic system to generate and supply electricity in commercial and residential applications. Each panel is rated by its DC output power under standard test conditions, and typically ranges from 100 to 320 watts. The efficiency of a panel determines the area of a panel given the same rated output - an 8% efficient 230 watt panel will have twice the area of a 16% efficient 230 watt panel. Because a single solar panel can produce only a limited amount of power, most installations contain multiple panels. A photovoltaic system typically includes an array of solar panels, an inverter, and sometimes a battery and or solar tracker and interconnection wiring.

SUBMITTED TO
MR. RIYAZ ( SUBJECT TEACHER )