Solar power is one of the most readily available sources of renewable energy that we have. Unlike hydro, geothermal or wind energy, energy from the sun is easy and cheap to extract. The energy source is set for some exciting developments in the near future as all the potential uses of solar power are explored.
How it works
Systems of collecting energy from the sun have been around since the 1760s. The earliest device of this nature was created by Swiss scientist Horace-Benedict de Saussure, who made a solar oven using an insulated box covered with layers of glass.
Today, energy from the sun is normally extracted by the use of a solar panel. These ingenious systems have been used to power pocket calculators for years and are now becoming popular additions to homes. Solar panels convert sunlight directly into electricity. This process is achieved by absorbing energy from the sun’s rays, before transferring these photons to a semiconductor where they react with electrons to create an electric charge. Find out more at howstuffworks.
Advantages of Solar Energy
Even among renewable energy systems, solar energy is one of the lowest impact sources of power that we have. Because the sun is a constant source of energy, there no need to recreate its power, just harness it, making it an extremely viable and environmentally friendly energy source.
As well as being good for the environment, solar power can also be a lot cheaper than traditional sources of energy, like nuclear and oil. Although the initial cost of installing solar panels on a building can be expensive, it doesn’t take long to recoup the money from this outlay. In some regions, such as the UK, households that are fitted with solar panels create so much power that they are able to sell their energy back to the national energy grid.
Potential Uses for Solar Power
Both in theory and in practice, anything that runs on electricity can be powered by the energy from the sun. This means that the possibilities for solar power are almost endless. In the future, with efficient enough systems of extracting the sun’s energy, we could see solar powered smartphones and computers, while electric cars are already well into development.
The future
Although the end of our reliance on oil may still be some way off, companies across the globe are investing heavily in solar power. In 2010, engineers at Stanford School discovered a way to harness not just light from the sun but heat too, thereby doubling the efficiency of extraction. While in 2012, the largest solar energy plant in history was opened in China, India also has a huge energy plant. Investment from two of the fastest growing economic powers in the world shows how influential solar power is going to be in the future.
Solar power is expected to become a mainstream source of energy soon, with the eventual aim that it will eventually replace oil as our number one energy supply. Although a lot is still needed to be done to reach this stage, the future of solar power is bright with plenty of potential uses.
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