Solar Power By: Christina Nahar

Solar Energy Potential The amount of solar energy that reaches the Earth’s surface every hour is greater than human kind’s total demand for energy in one year. Non-Electric Solar Power Solar Water Heating Solar Water Heating Passive solar Heating/Lighting. Passive solar Heating/Lighting.

Solar Water Heating

Advantages - replacing or supplementing other water heating methods: natural gas, electricity. - replacing or supplementing other water heating methods: natural gas, electricity.Disadvantages - more expensive in colder Climates. - more expensive in colder Climates.

Passive solar Heating/ Cooler Passive solar heating can use over hangs to shield the home from the sun in the summer and warm the home when the sun is lower in the Winter Sky.

Non-Electric Solar Power Lowered Energy consumption Broadening of energy portfolio Reduced need for fossil fuel Imports

Concentrating Solar Power Requires direct Sunlight -Concentrating solar power systems cannot reflect diffuse sunlight, making them ineffective in cloudy conditions. -Concentrating solar power systems cannot reflect diffuse sunlight, making them ineffective in cloudy conditions. Two Approaches Two Approaches - Power tower - Power tower - Parabolic Trough - Parabolic Trough

Parabolic Trough Sunlight focused on heat transfer fluid (HTF), which then runs steam turbine. Here is a website: ml ml

Centralized Advantages -Traditional model of distribution -No fuel cost Disadvantages -non-constant power -Vulnerability

Distributed Solar (PV) Advantages-Flexibility -reduced vulnerability to terrorist attack -almost no maintenance -Negligible environmental impact -Domestic production Disadvantages-Cost -Low conversion Efficiency -Community Associations-CCR’s

Cost

Efficiency Conversion Efficiency- the percentage of solar energy shining on a device that is converted into electrical energy Typical Efficiencies -Single crystalline silicon= 14% -Single crystalline silicon= 14% -Thin film -Thin film

CCR’s -As of 1999, 42 million Americans lived in community Associations -The Declaration of Conditions Covenants, and Restrictions are one method used to ensure that homes retain a common design theme within a community

Architectural Restrictions Arizona HOA is battling resident over black solar collector which doesn’t match his light-brown roof Some state laws have attempted to limit the ability of CCRs to restrict solar improvements

Intermittency Obviously solar power requires sunlight to generate power This means that… -no power can be generated at night -power generation may be reduced by cloud cover *however it still works with over cast skies -Generation techniques requiring direct sunlight (CSP) are ineffective without optium conditions -Generators, batteries, Hybrid Facilities -Hydrogen- which can be used as an energy carrier

Solar Power and Energy Lessen Reliance on Fossil Fuel Stabilize Energy costs