Solar energy is renewable energy obtained from sunlight, used for heating water (thermal energy) or as a source of electrical energy.
As well as wind energy is one of the fastest growing forms of clean energy production in the world.
How Does Solar Energy Work?
Solar energy comes from sunlight and obtained through solar panels, whose function is to capture light energy and transform it into thermal or electrical energy.
In addition, this type of energy can be obtained in solar plants composed of numerous panels that capture energy from the sun.
Types of Solar Energy
Solar energy can be used to produce thermal energy through the solar heating method.
It can also be used to produce electricity directly, through photovoltaic solar panels or indirectly, through plants that use heliothermic energy.
1. Solar heating
2. Solar energy
Solar collector for solar water heating at home. The boiler is above the plates.
Solar energy can be used to heat water in homes, swimming pools or industries.
Solar collectors are basically systems with a dark surface that absorb sunlight and transmit heat to the water, which in turn is stored in thermal reservoirs called boilers .
Photovoltaic Solar Panels
Photovoltaic panels or plates use a direct method of producing electrical energy.
Sunlight is absorbed in solar cells, also called photovoltaic or photoelectric cells that are made of semiconductor material, usually silicon crystals.
When particles of sunlight (photons) come into contact with silicon atoms, they cause the displacement of electrons, thus generating an electric current, which is used to charge a battery.
Heliothermal Energy
Heliothermal power plant ( concentrating solar power ) in the Mojave Desert, California, created in 1985.
Heliothermal energy, also called CSP ( concentrating solar power ) is an indirect method of producing electrical energy, in which sunlight is reflected by mirrors and concentrated in the form of heat (thermal energy) in a receiver.
This energy is then transformed into mechanical energy and finally into electrical energy, similar to what happens in a thermoelectric power plant.
In addition to producing electrical energy, heliothermal energy can be used for power plants that require high temperatures to produce electrical energy, without the need to use fossil fuels .
The surplus energy from the sun not used by the plant can be stored as heat in tanks, being used, for example, when there is low insolation or at night.
Also know about:
Wind Energy
Hydro-electric energy
Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Energy
Some studies point out that by 2050 solar energy will become the main source of electrical energy worldwide due to the advantages it presents.
It is a renewable, clean and cheap energy, as the sun is a free source, unlike fossil fuels which are a highly polluting and limited resource, making them progressively more expensive;
They have aroused the interest of many researchers, and the greater the investment in technology, the cheaper it will become;
Solar plants that use heliothermic or concentrated energy (CSP) can store excess energy that has not been used and use it when needed;
The possibility of installing photovoltaic panels in distant or isolated regions;
Low maintenance requirement.
The disadvantages of solar energy are:
The high costs of the plates and, for this reason, it is still little used in the world;
The need to have good insolation, because if there are several days without sun, there will be no energy;
The requirement of a large amount of raw material for the manufacture of equipment, such as silicon, demanding exploitation of resources.
