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time. power is an immense source of directly useable
energy and ultimately creates other energy resources:
BSc (Honours)
biomass, wind, hydropower and wave energy.
Geography and
Environmental Most of the Earth's surface receives sufficient solar energy
Science to permit low-grade heating of water and buildings,
although there are large variations with latitude and season.
At low latitudes, simple mirror devices can concentrate
solar energy sufficiently for cooking and even for driving
steam turbines.
The energy of light shifts electrons in some
BA/BSc (Honours)
semiconducting materials. This photovoltaic effect is
Open degree
capable of large-scale electricity generation. However, the
present low efficiency of solar PV cells demands very large
areas to supply electricity demands.
Direct use of solar energy is the only renewable means
Download this capable of ultimately supplanting current global energy
course supply from non-renewable sources, but at the expense of a
2
land area of at least half a million km .
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