Solar Energy

Solar Power: Energy Source Fact File! - Fun Kids - the UK's children's radio station.

What is It. Solar Energy is a renewable source of energy which solely relies on the light or heat that the sun gives out to Earth. There are a couple of ways that the Solar Energy is produced which includes, Photovoltaic cells, thermal technology and passive solar heating. Around thirty percent of all homes in Australia use Solar Energy with China having the World’s largest Solar Energy fleet. Although fossil fuels remain the world’s most widely used energy source, the amount of Solar Energy used to power homes has increased over the years with a 29% increase during 2021..

Photovoltaic Cells. One form three forms of Solar Energy is by using Photovoltaic Cells. Photovoltaic Cells are electrical devices that converts visible light, such as sunlight, into a direct current. Some Photovoltaic Cells can also convert infrared or ultraviolet radiation into a direct current. There are three types of Photovoltaic Cells which are monocrystalline silicon, polycrystalline silicon and thin film. The only difference between these three cells is that they are made using different materials with monocrystalline cells being the most efficient and the most expensive..

Thermal Technology. Another form of Solar Energy is Thermal Technology. Thermal Technology works with lenses and reflectors absorbing the Sun’s heat or the radiated energy from the sun. The energy gathered is then used to heat a fluid, such as water or oil and produces steams which drives a turbine. Thermal Technology is used to heat various things such as water or buildings. There are three types of Solar Thermal Technology which are Solar Parabolic Trough Plants, Solar Tower Power Plants and Solar Dish Power Plants..

Passive Solar Heating. The final form of Solar Energy is Passive Solar Heating. Passive Solar Heating is where home materials mainly South facing windows are used to trap the sun’s heat during the day and release the trapped heat into the home at night. Thermal Mass, heat flow and insulation can also be used to trap the heat..

Pros and Cons. The pros of Solar Energy is that does not release any harmful gases when it produces energy, it is a 100% renewable source of energy, Solar Energy significantly reduces your power bills and it doesn’t cost that much to maintain Solar Energy. The cons of Solar Energy is that it costs a lot of money to build a Solar System, Solar Energy takes up a lot of space and not a lot of energy would produced on cloudy or windy days..

The End.