SOLAR ENERGY, THE FORCES OF NATURE

HOW IS ELECTRICITY GENERATED FROM SOLAR ENERGY???

The sun is the source of all energy either in the form of fossil fuels or wood.After all,These substances have been made from the energy of the sun and have stored its energy.However, the heat of the sun can be used directly in the form of solar energy.Solar cells and giant solar plants are used for generating electricity.It has been estimated that the solar energy reaching the Earth's surface in one year is double then we will ever receive from all the Earth's resources of coal,oil,natural gas and uranium together.

HOW CAN WE CAPTURE THE HEAT ENERGY OF THE SUN???

The easiest way to capture the heat energy of the sun is to use it to heat water.In countries with regular supply of abundant sunlight,The roofs of the houses have tanks with water that gets heated by the sunlight. 'SOLAR HOUSES' can now be seen in various countries across the world.Solar collectors are placed on the roofs of these houses,which collect heat from the sunlight.This energy is used to heat water, which in turn produces steam which drives a turbine connected to an electrical generator to produce electricity.

HOW DOES A SOLAR CELL WORK???

The major part of all solar cell is made of silicon,which is a semi-conductor. Semi-conductors are substances that conduct electricity only under the action of light or heat.When light particles fall on a solar cell,they bounce off electrons from the silicon layer.These electrons wander to the opposite layer,when an electrical field is apply.The upper and lower sides of the cell thereby get electrically charged and generate an electrical voltage. This is tapped via electrode and produces - similar to a battery - direct current.This current can be used directly or fed directly to the electricity grid after being converted in to alternating current.

WHY ARE SOLAR PLANTS NOT LOCATED EVERYWHERE???

Solar collectors supply us with solar energy in the form of heat, and solar or photovoltaic system convert the solar energy in to electricity with the help of solar cells.Although these solar plant work very well and supply electricity to many part of the worlds, it is worthwhile to establish them only in areas with regular and abundant sun light.Till now, only one thousandth of the electricity consumed all over the world comes from such plants.The reason that the sun does not always shine in many European countries and a single solar cell is not sufficient to provide adequate electricity. Research is being carried out to developed them further because the advantages are tremendous. For instance, the generation of 'solar current' will make a pollution-free environment.

WHAT IS A 'SOLAR SAIL'???
A discussion on solar sails on the television obtain implies the umbrella-like stretched surfaces around the satellites or the International Space Station (ISS).These are solar plants,which provide energy to the objects in space flight.Strictly speaking,the solar sail is a new technology,which uses the pressure of the solar radiation to drive the space probes.

WHAT IS A MAGNETIC SAIL???

Like the 'solar sail', the magnetic sail is also a new possibility for using the solar energy to power spaceships or space probes.This would become possible through the solar wind, a stream of electricity charged particles,coming from the sun.However, this method is still under research.

DID YOU KNOW THAT?????

• SILICON IS A CONSTITUENT OF NORMAL SAND AND IS THE SECOND MOST ABUNDANT ELEMENT OCCURRING IN THE EARTH'S CRUST.
• THE WORDS 'COLLECTOR' AND 'COLLECTION' COME FROM THE LATIN VERB COLLEGERE,WHICH MEANS 'TO COLLECT'.
• THE WORLD'S LARGEST SOLAR PARK IS SET UP AT A INVESTMENT OF 16,500 CRORE IN INDIA,KARNATAKA ACROSS 13000 ACRES SPREAD OVER FIVE VILLAGES.