PV Gap

Margaret Said:

how much is solar energy used in the world?

We Answered:

A lot nowadays !!

Vicki Said:

how is solar energy used? or where is it used?

We Answered:

to heat buildings and produce electricity

Becky Said:

how is solar energy used?

We Answered:

Hi Allie, the short answer is it's used anyway you want to. Ami and Mister2.. are both correct. To be more accurate, there are two types of solar panels. Some use the sun to heat air, water, or some other medium, like alcohol, which is pumped back into the home after it reaches the desired temperature to heat other areas of the home, or make hot water. These are, "Solar Thermal Panels." The other type is technically called the, "Photovoltiac Panel." These do not have any fluid or circulating air. They use two layers of silicone wafers, each doped with a different chemical during manufacture. They are then glued together using a conductive epoxy. When the sun shines on them, the invisible particles called photons impact the layers of silicone, and a chemical reaction takes place that forces any free electrons from one layer of silicone onto the other, and a small voltage is generated. By connecting dozens of these together into one large panel, the manufacturer can make panels to generater different amounts of power at different voltages. The electricity they produce is strictly DC, which is handy for charging large battery banks. Then in most installations, a device called an inverter takes the stored electricity from the batteries and converts it to household AC electricity, which can be used for most any appliance.

We have a home in the Upper Great Lakes that is powered by solar panels like these, and our water is partially heated by solar water heating panels. Our electric panels, together with a small wind turbine charge a large battery bank, which then feeds our inverter, which feeds the house, just like the above example. What is becoming more popular today is called a, "Grid Tied," solar system. The panels electrical DC output is fed directly into a, "Grid Tie," type inverter, there is no battery bank. The inverter makes whatever AC power it can from the panels and feeds it back into your home directly. It helps power all your homes appliances and lighting, and any left over feeds back out into the electrical grid, eventually powering your neighbors home. During this time, you electrical meter spins backwards. At night, when the solar array is not producing anything, your meter spins forwards as you use electricity in your home. At the end of the month, the utility company charges you for only the power you couldn't replace from your array, so your bill is reduced substantially.

Did you know there are over 100,000 homes and businesses in the United States alone that use some amount of solar energy produced at their site? It is rapidly becoming a main street installation in many parts of the world. Homes like ours, which do not grid tie but feed the house directly, are not even included in that number since the power company is not aware of them, so it's really impossible to say exactly how many people make their own energy this way. It's environmentally sound, and over time can even save you money. This says nothing of the fact that last year alone, there were two power failures in our county, and in both cases, we were not even aware of them. It's difficult to put a price on something like that.

If you are really curious, you can do some reading and other research on your own. I will include some sources below that you can google and learn more. Good question Allie, good luck and take care, Rudydoo

Ricardo Said:

how is solar energy used in your community?

We Answered:

many will grow tomatoes, others might grow lettuce. Most will suntan in the summer.
I dry chili peppers with it.

Sheila Said:

3 Examples of how solar energy is used?

We Answered:

The most efficient angle for transfer of solar energy is 90 degrees so there is minimal immediate loss of energy to reflection. The further away the angle of the incoming rays of light from a line perpendicular to the surface of the collector, the more reflection of the light there will be and the less energy will be collected (comparatively).

I came accross a new, proven and tested home made wind power system and solar power system which eliminates our electricity bills. It was written by a Renewable energy enthusiasts Michael Harvey the diy called Earth4energy. You can get your copy to save energy and help environment while eliminating your power bills. Get it from here:

http://How-To-Build-Cheap-Solar-Energy.info

Helen Said:

how much solar energy is used by plants when it comes from the sun?

We Answered:

plants as in trees or as in power plants.

trees use about 90% of the energy they recieve
solar power plant- here is a good page (a kids page but explains very well) that you can look into. http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/…

Cody Said:

What can solar energy be used for?

We Answered:

Solar energy is the primary energy source for our planet Earth. It supplies our food, it gives us rain and wind and it created the fossil fuels that we use for energy. Nuclear energy, some geothermal energy and tidal energy are exceptions.

Solar panels can be photovoltaic and give us electricity. They can also be solar thermal panels which provides energy as heat. Solar thermal panels are being used to provide hot water for washing, and heating our houses and pools. Solar thermal energy can also be used for air conditioning and with commercial solar collectors electricity can be made.

Solar panels are often put on rooftops but can be placed on separate stands on the ground.

Solar panels are growing in popularity with government incentives but require an initial investment that pays for itself over time. It is more difficult to make these kinds of decisions when they are uncommon. Most people are not yet considering solar options although they have heard of them.

Solar energy is very powerful but the energy is diffuse. More energy can be captured with more area used for solar panels or collectors. The effectiveness of solar energy might be measured by its cost compared to alternatives. Solar energy is now comparable with peak daytime power consumption in some places. In some remote settings it is very effective as options are limited. Solar photovoltaic panels are as high as 42% efficient in the lab but commercial units are about 24% efficient. Some solar thermal collectors are from 60 to 80% efficient. The most efficient solar method to make electricity is presently using parabolic dish collectors and a stirling engine.1 (Photosynthsis is about 5% efficient.)

Some methods of solar collection includes a built in storage of energy. A solar chimney can be build to run day and night indefinitely.2 Most solar collectors without some built in storage will produce no energy at night and a limited amount on cloudy days.