Many of us know that, the term “Solar” relates to the sun. On the same basis, Solar Energy may be said to be that kind of energy emanating from the sun. As experienced by the world, fuel prices shot up so highly that, the world was pushed into an energy crisis. The world fuel prices rose from the US$50 or less mark to the all time high of US$149 that marked a more than 200% price rise. This coupled with global warming that has seen many rivers and lakes having their water levels drop drastically or dry out completely. The world is left with only the option of exploring the move to renewable forms of energy as well as reducing the dependency on fossil fuels that could get depleted sooner than later. As energy costs rise, many people have become interested in solar energy as a viable option for their home energy needs. So, you may be wondering how solar energy works to give you the kind of energy options that you need for your everyday needs. This might be the badly needed breakthrough that could not only save our hard earned money but also conserve the badly needed environment? The Solar debate is such a vast one, with the limited time and space; I will just cover the basics so that I give you a highly simplified picture. First and foremost, there are two ways that solar energy can be tapped. These are: • Solar thermal • Photovoltaic As the description suggests, solar thermal, is the method of trapping the heat in the sun’s energy and using it to heat water, the heated water can be used to generate electricity or just use the hot water for domestic purposed instead of using electricity or other forms of energy to heat it. The warmth of the sun is collected by means of solar panels and then transferred to water and heating systems inside a building. The panels are generally positioned so that they collect the maximum amount of heat from the sun during the day. In many countries that enjoy abundant sun shine, the panels are neatly laid out on the roof, this way, they can get maximum exposure to the sun. Under the Photovolatic method, the sun’s rays are converted into electricity that can be used for anything in your home. The process uses solar cells that are often part of a solar panel. You can connect as many solar panels as you can lay your hands on (based on resources available) so as to maximize the amount of energy that you can capture. The energy from the sun heats up the electrons in the solar cell and produces electricity. The electricity that is produced, however, is in direct current (popularly known as DC), which cannot be used for most purposes. In order to be able to use this power for any purpose, it must be converted into alternating current (AC) through an inverter. The inverted power can then be stepped up and down depending on the need. Normally, the solar energy is captured by the Solar Cells built into the solar panels, it is then stored in heavy duty batteries that allow it to be used at night when there is little or no solar energy being received. Once you have installed an ideal Solar system, you might find that, there is more energy produced than you can store in your batteries, or better still, your energy production might exceed your needs, leading to a surplus. That way, you will have broken out of the subsistence level and you can become an electricity seller, you could sell such power to your local electricity distributor and earn money. Instead of you paying for electricity, you could be paid or earn additional income as well as save the environment. (to be continued) eddie@afrowebs.com
