SOLAR

ENERGY
What is solar
energy?
 Solar energy is the radiation Solar energy is
from the Sun capable of the cleanest and
most abundant
producing heat, causing chemical renewable

reactions, or generating
energy source
available,
electricity. The total amount of
solar energy received on Earth is
vastly more than the world's
current and anticipated energy
requirements.
Why solar energy is
the best source of
energy?
 Solar energy is clean. It creates no
carbon emissions or other heat-trapping
“greenhouse” gases. It avoids the
environmental damage associated with
mining or drilling for fossil fuels.
Furthermore, solar energy also uses
little to no water, unlike power plants
that generate electricity using steam
turbines.
 TRIVI
A:
In many parts of
the world, solar is
now cheaper than
coal.
How Does
Solar
Work?
 The amount of sunlight that strikes
the earth's surface in an hour and a half
is enough to handle the entire world's
energy consumption for a full year. Solar
technologies convert sunlight into
electrical energy either through
photovoltaic (PV) panels or through
mirrors that concentrate solar radiation.
This energy can be used to generate
electricity or be stored in batteries or
thermal storage:
 Solar power works by
converting energy from the sun
into power. There are two forms
of energy generated from the sun
for our use – electricity and heat.
Both are generated through the
use of solar panels, which range in
size from residential rooftops to
'solar farms' stretching over acres
of rural land.
Why is solar
energy used
for?
 The most commonly used solar
technologies for homes and
businesses are solar photovoltaics
for electricity, passive solar
design for space heating and
cooling, and solar water heating.
Businesses and industry use solar
technologies to diversify their
energy sources, improve
efficiency, and save money.
 TRIVI
WhenA: thinking about
electricity demand,
Thomas Edison is
quoted as saying, "I'd
put my money on the
sun and solar energy."
How many watts
can produce of
solar energy?
 The average solar panel has a power
output rating of 250 to 400 watts (W)
and generates around 1.5 kilowatt-
hours (kWh) of energy per day. Most
homes can meet energy needs using 20
solar panels, which typically have an
installed system capacity of six to
eight kilowatts (kW).
 TRIVI
1 A:
megawatt
(MW) of solar
energy can power
over 200 homes.
 BASIC SOLAR ENERGY APPLICATIONS

•Solar water heating • Solar-pumping

• Solar heating for •Solar drying

buildings for agriculture

•Solar-distillation •Solar electric

power generation
Solar water heating
Solar heating for buildings
Solar-distillation
Solar-pumping
Solar drying for agriculture
Solar electric power generation
 ADVANTAGE
AND
DISADVANTAGE
The 5 main types of solar energy are:
1. Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Energy
2. Solar Thermal Energy (STE)
3. Concentrated Solar Power (CSP),
4. Passive Solar Energy
5. Building-integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV)
 1. Photovoltaic (PV) solar
energy is obtained by converting
sunlight (solar radiation) into
electricity through the use of solar
panels, a technology based on the
photoelectric effect.
 TRIVI
TheA:
photovoltaic
(PV) effect was
discovered by French
scientist Edmond
Becquerel in 1839.
 2. Solar thermal energy is the
energy created by converting solar
energy into heat and is one of the most
cost-effective forms of using solar
energy.
 3. Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) is
a type of solar thermal energy that uses
mirrors or lenses to focus solar radiation
onto a small area to generate high-
temperature heat.
 4. Passive solar energy refers to the use
of natural light and heat from the sun to warm
a building or space without the use of any
active mechanical systems or technologies (like
TACS and collectors in STE systems). It
utilizes favourable architecture.
 5. Building-integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV).
This includes the integration of photovoltaic (PV)
panels into the building components, such as the roof,
walls, or windows. This type of solar energy is used to
generate electricity for the building, reducing the need
for traditional power sources.
 TRIVI
A:
China built a
250-acre solar
farm in the shape
of a panda.