Where is solar energy used? And for what?

Question

Where is solar energy used? And for what?

Answer 1

i use solar energy in my bus it runs my computer , the stereo , fridge , TV VCR, DVD player , i store the energy in 12 batteries , and without sunlight i can run these things for five days

Answer 2

The most common uses I have seen have been for monitoring equipment in remote locations (like flood gaging stations on rivers and pipeline monitoring stations) and for keeping electric fences charged.

Mainly, it is used when running electric lines to the area or changing depleted batteries regularly would be cost prohibitive so they use the solar panels to charge the batteries. Use as a power source where other sources of electricity are available is not usually cost efficient when the cost and lifespan of the solar panel is considered.

The above just takes into account electricity generated from solar energy, which is what most people mean when they ask such a question. Much more common are other ways to use the abundant energy of the Sun, such as the following:

Home construction in cooler climates has long taken advantage of solar energy to reduce heating costs by allowing sunlight to enter the home and help warm the interior of the structure. In recent years, this has become more prominent and efficient.

Circulation of water through a panel designed to take advantage of the suns heat is sometimes used to preheat household water (for showers etc), and other fluids can be heated the same way and used to heat the air in the home by use of a heat transfer radiator.

Answer 3

Solar energy is a double edged sword in that it provides "free" energy at the cost of expensive PV (photovoltaic) panels or evacuated tubes (the solar domestic hot water heater mentioned above), while the energy itself is inefficiently gathered and unreliable for long periods.

Solar energy, however, is becoming more popular in building applications around the world. The problem is that the solar collectors that we have now are extremely expensive and so inefficient, that you would need a separate PV panel lot next to your building to house all of the area of PV panels that you would need. Small translucent PV panels are being placed decoratively along windows, slate tiles for siding your walls are now being made to collect solar power, and a catholic university had their solar panels made into a statue to sit at their front gates.

As mentioned above, buildings can be designed to just use the heat from the sun to save energy (passive solar design). Using materials with high density (thermal mass) can help save energy, because the sunlight will warm your building materials, and they will retain the heat for hours afterward. Other passive solar applications include strategically placing your windows to catch the most sun possible (large south facing windows if you are in the Northern Hemisphere) while providing a means to cover the windows once the sun goes down to trap heat from the sun. The list goes on.

Solar powered homes are becoming more and more common as the technology spreads. There is a homebuilder in Pennsylvania who builds only 100% solar powered homes for modest prices. In California, the governator has subsidized the building of 1,000,000 solar powered homes to assist the general public with the purchase of solar power.

Also, your local electricity power provider may let you buy green power vouchers, where you are guaranteed that the power you buy was generated by either wind turbines or solar power. There are so many uses, it is unbelievable.

Perhaps the coolest solar powered gadget I have seen recently is a backpack with solar panels sewn into the front pocket so that you can charge your cell phone as you hike around outside. And it looks awesome.

Finally, the oldest and most extensive use for solar power is to act as a meal for the Earth's plants. Without solar power, we would have no vegetation: and therefore no fossil fuels, no possible biomass based fuels, no food, and no atmosphere (sun keeps plants alive, recirculating O2 and N2 throughout atmosphere.). Really, solar power is at the root of every move, possession, and technology that we have. So, solar power is some pretty impressive stuff, right?

Answer 4

Virtually everywhere the Sun shines. Evaporation from the oceans falls to Earth again as rain or snow. Plants take in sunlight directly and use it to power their life cycles. Large areas of the world are warmed by sunlight, making life possible.

Ontario is working on a solar farm they hope will deliver 40 megawatts of electrical energy. Portugal has an 11 megawatt solar farm in operation.

Solar home and water heating has been in use for Milena, gaining new popularity with recent energy crises.

Answer 5

It is used everywhere, from cars to calculators to active roofing shingles. A great resource site on solar is the Solar Energy Directory at http://www.allsitessorted.com/Renewable_Energy/Solar_Energy/ - they list a lot of the important resources on the Internet regarding solar.