Solar Power Kieran Burrell Class 608 Solar Power by Kieran Burrell Class 608

What is Solar Power? Solar power is energy which comes from the Sun. This energy is very powerful and hits the Earth regardless whether or not we take advantage of it. Even the tiny percentage of sunlight that touches the earth is plenty to meet the energy and power needs of the entire human population 8,500 times.

Where does Solar Power come from? Solar energy is making a big impact today and most ask where does solar power come from. Imagine a home that is powered by a residential solar energy system. This home is electric 24 hours a day. You could watch TV all day, keep the lights on, and not have to worry about an electric bill! So, where does it come from? The electric had to come from somewhere and it was known to be batteries.

How was Solar Energy formed? Solar energy forms as light from the sun is converted to electricity by solar cells. These cells, being made of silicon which is a semiconductor, produce photovoltaic electricity. Silicon for photovoltaic cells is first manufactured by altering it to form two types of semiconductor materials, which are joined together.

How does Solar Power make electricity? The Sun’s light (and all light) contains energy. Usually, when light hits an object the energy turns into heat, like the warmth you feel while sitting in the sun. But when light hits certain materials the energy turns into an electrical current instead, which we can then harness for power.

Advantages Solar power is free-it needs no fuel and produces no waste. In sunny countries, solar power can be used where there is no easy way to get electricity to a remote place. Handy for low-power uses such as solar powered garden lights and battery chargers, or for helping your home energy bills. Solar power is non-polluting.

Disadvantages Doesn’t work at night. Very expensive to build solar power stations, although the cost is coming down as technology improves. Can be unreliable unless you’re in a very sunny climate. The Solar cells and solar panels that are needed to harness solar energy tend to be very expensive when you first purchase them.

Renewable or Non-Renewable? Solar power is renewable. The Sun will keep on shining anyway, so it makes sense to use it. It is renewable because the Sun can never run out and besides coal and oil, this resource can be reused over and over again with no problem. Solar power is something that the earth doesn’t need to be waited on to reproduce like fossil fuels or non-renewable sources.

Summary Solar power is renewable 3 main ways to use it:- Sun heats water in panels on your roof Solar cells make electricity from sunlight Solar furnace Solar cells are expensive Solar power isn’t much use unless you live somewhere sunny Doesn’t cause pollution, doesn’t need fuel

Quiz: Solar Power Solar power is ___________, and does not produce any _________ when in use. If you install solar power at home, it might be ____ cells to help your electricity, or solar _______ heating. PV cells are ___________ to make compared to the amount of ____________ they’ll produce in their lifetime.

Answers Solar power is renewable, and does not produce any pollution when in use. If you install solar power at home, it may be PV cells to help your electricity bill, or solar water heating. PV cells are expensive to make compared to the amount of electricity they’ll make in their lifetime.

Reference Page WWW.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/solar.htm#renewable WWW.Solarhome.org/infoadvantagesofsolarpower.html WWW.scientificamerican.com/article.cmf?id=how-does-solar-power-work WWW.Factasy.com/education/where solar.shtml WWW.Google.com WWW.ehow.com/how-does 5143301 solar- energy-formed.html