Solar Power Energy Harness The Power Of The Sun
November 4th, 2008
As we strive to decrease our usage of fossil fuels and become more environmentally aware, solar power should continue to grow and become more mainstream, especially in light of new technology which makes it more effective. Tapping into the sun’s power and then converting it into solar power energy that we may use for everyday needs is accomplished via several methods.
The photovoltaic system (PV) and the concentrating solar power system (CSP) are the two most commonly used for this purpose. The PV system is made up of special materials capable of generating electricity when exposed to sunlight. In contrast, CSP materials absorb the heat energy from the sun which is then used to produce electricity instead of burning fossil fuels for the same purpose. While PV is used in many residential applications, CSP could theoretically provide enough solar power energy to power a city using either the parabolic-trough system, power tower system or dish engine system for collecting solar energy.
The price of solar panels may vary tremendously based on which type of installation you are looking for. If your building is located in a relatively remote and industrial area, you may able to use the typical roof mounted panels with a boxy shape. For a more discrete or nicer looking dual purpose installation, you might have the structure built with solar cells capable of producing solar power energy that are built directly into the roofing, window, and awning materials.
If your structure is shaded part of the time, consider mounting the solar panels with ground and pole mounts; adding greater freedom to your design. Additionally, the panels can be rooftop mounted. Special features can be added to solar panels that cause them to follow the sun’s path across the sky, thus increasing their energy output and providing more solar power energy.
Parabolic-trough systems focus the heat of the sun using long mirrors. This heat travels to piping built into the center of the mirror through which oil is pumped to carry the heat away from the mirrors. The heat from the oil is then used to heat water to create steam that powers a generator to create the solar power energy.
Dish-engine systems utilize a reflective parabolic type dish to focus the heat from the sun to heat fluid much like the parabolic-trough system except this fluid expands when heated which make it move large pistons that power an electrical generator for the production of solar power energy.
Power tower systems utilize a large array of mirrors which concentrate the heat from the sun on a receiver which in turn heats up molten salt that flows through the tower-mounted receiver. Heat from the molten salt is used to heat up water which creates the steam that powers a generator.
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