The Energy Of Solar Energy - 1462 Words

According to the National Institute for Energy Research and the U.S. Energy Information Administration, solar energy makes up only 0.5% of total energy consumption in the United States, and over 65% of consumed energy is natural gas and petroleum. (2016) These statistics show that nearly two-thirds of the energy the United States uses is not only non-renewable but the processess of harnessing it also causes pollution. Solar Energy is energy that is transferred through solar radiation in the form of electromagnetic energy. In the transference of solar radiation to Earth from the Sun, only one billionth of this energy arrives at Earth s surface. A joule is the equivalence of one watt of power that is created through exertion for one second. One trillion watts of this generated energy is known as a terawatt. As Haugen and Musser (2012), examined types of alternative, renewable energy sources, they looked at hydro-power. They said that it, â€Å"is the most used renewable energy sourc e used in the United States. It accounted for almost 80 percent of the renewable energy and 9 percent of the total electricity generated in the United States in 2008.† This shows that solar is not the only option for renewable energy, nor is it the most used. Solar power, however, does not instigate change in the environment as hydro-power does. In order for many of the dams to be created to instigate the use of hydro-power, waterways have to be rerouted or otherwise altered from their naturalShow MoreRelatedThe Energy Of Solar Energy1687 Words   |  7 Pagesanalyses of solar energy deployment contained in the Word Energy Outlook, Energy Technology Perspectives and several IEA Technology Roadmaps. It aims at offering an updated picture of current technology trends and markets, as well as new analyses on how solar energy technologies for electricity, heat and fuels can be used in the various energy consuming sectors, now and in the future. If effective support policies are p ut in place in a wide number of countries during this decade, solar energy in its variousRead MoreThe Energy Of Solar Energy1176 Words   |  5 PagesS. Energy Future is one of the most talked about subjects in science. There are many different types of alternative energy to using fossil fuels. Scientists have warned the population that the fossil fuels that we current use for our main fuel source may run out in less than 100 years (James Trefil Robert Hazen, 2013). While the fossil fuels are readily available to our current generations, we need to start making great results in switching our main energy source to more renewable energy forRead MoreThe Solar Of Solar Energy1637 Words   |  7 Pagesin solar energy has been growing in recent years. Solar energy is abundant, clean and renewable. There are two main methods to tap solar energy, i.e. with PV cells and with solar collectors. The former converts sun light directly to electricity while the latter collects the solar ther mal energy (heat) to be used for various applications. Solar collectors have been in existent for many decades. Their usages are experiencing resurgence in the recent years due to the interest in renewable energy sourcesRead MoreThe Solar Of Solar Energy1304 Words   |  6 Pagesthat uses Solar? Solar power is a great way to save money as well as conserve energy. Solar panels convert sunlight into usable energy for housing, businesses, sections of properties, and even stuff like pool equipment. I want to discuss out the three important points about photovoltaic panels starting with the history of solar panels to understanding panels and how they are built, and finally the environmental aspects of photovoltaic panels. For those who don t know, solar energy is radiantRead MoreThe Solar Of Solar Energy1316 Words   |  6 Pagesterawatts of energy. Solar cells offer a means to harness this energy by converting solar energy into electrical energy. While some may argue that solar energy is an inconsistent energy source, research is being poured into creating more efficient solar cells so that when light is incident on the solar cell, the solar cells operate at their highest possible efficiency levels. Currently, the most efficient solar cells convert 34.5% of sunlight to energy. With innovations like floating solar farms, suchRead MoreThe Solar Of Solar Energy1321 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Photovoltaic Solar Energy Throughout history, mankind had always wonder the mysterious secrets of nature with an attempt to make a replica of its magnificent work. Solar photovoltaic energy is the process to convert sunlight into electrical power as energy; imitating the process of photosynthesis that plants create to survive. Photovoltaic energy is not something recently discovered, it actually goes over 160 years The basic science was first discovered in 1839 but the pace of advancementRead MoreAlternative Energy: Solar Energy1323 Words   |  5 PagesIn the world today, alternative energy source which is an alternative to fossil fuel and nuclear energy is becoming more and more of a necessity. Right now, the world’s population growth has caused an increase in the energy demand. Rosenberg (2009) pointed out that the world’s current growth rate is about 1.14%, representing a doubling time of 61 years. OECDs International Energy Agency[IEA] (2014) found that from 2011 to 2035 the world energy demand is likely to rise by more than two-thirds. ThoughRead MoreRenewable Energy And Solar Energy921 Words   |  4 Pagesrenewable energy . Most of these renewable energies depend in one way or another on sunlight. Wind and hydroelectric power are the direct result of differential heating of the Ear th s surface which leads to air moving about (wind) and precipitation forming as the air is lifted. Solar energy is the direct conversion of sunlight using panels or collectors. Biomass energy is stored sunlight contained in plants. Other renewable energies that do not depend on sunlight are geothermal energy, which isRead MoreSolar Energy1128 Words   |  5 Pageshouses be powered only by solar panels? Powering a home by converting sunlight into usable energy to power the house and being off-grid. Electricity is usually made by burning coal, oil or gas and to use these resources a lot of money is being used (Bbc.co.uk, 2017). Approximately 173000000000000000 terawatts are given off by the sun which is 10 times more power than what people already use thus using the free energy would be the wiser option (Sapowernetworks.com.au, n.d.). Solar panels use small photonsRead MoreEnergy Sources Of Solar Energy1680 Words   |  7 PagesThe earth has lots of energy sources such as nuclear energy, fossil energy, and renewable sources. Solar, wind, geothermal, and water are renewable sources of energy. These energy sources are clean. They do not produce any pollution. But the most reliable energy source is the sun. The sun is an important part of living things. It produces an energy called solar energy. Solar energy is the earth’s main source of energy which can be transformed into heat and electricity. Its energy was used to heat and