Solar Energy Potter

Simply put, a solar panel works by allowing photons, or particles of light, to knock electrons free from atoms, generating a flow of electricity. Solar panels actually comprise many, smaller units called photovoltaic cells. (Photovoltaic simply means they convert sunlight into electricity.) Many cells linked together make up a solar panel. Each photovoltaic cell is basically a sandwich made up of two slices of semi-conducting material, usually silicon — the same stuff used in microelectronics.

solar furnaceA solar furnace is a structure that uses concentrated solar power to produce high temperatures, usually for industry. Parabolic mirrors or heliostats concentrate light (Insolation) onto a focal point.

How does a solar cell turn sunlight into electricity? In a crystal, the bonds [between silicon atoms] are made of electrons that are shared between all of the atoms of the crystal. The light gets absorbed, and one of the electrons that's in one of the bonds gets excited up to a higher energy level and can move around more freely than when it was bound. That electron can then move around the crystal freely, and we can get a current.

PV panels are totally silent, producing no noise at all; consequently, they are a perfect solution for urban areas and for residential applications (see solar panels for home)

Solar energy is energy supplied by nature – it is thus free and abundant! Solar energy can be made available almost anywhere there is sunlight

Solar Panels cost is currently on a fast reducing track and is expected to continue reducing for the next years

Solar energy is a renewable energy source. This means that we cannot run out of solar energy, as opposed to non-renewable energy sources (e.g. fossil fuels, coal and nuclear).

The potential of solar energy is beyond imagination. The surface of the earth receives 120,000 terawatts of solar radiation (sunlight) – 20,000 times more power than what is needed to supply the entire world.[2]

Harnessing solar energy does generally not cause pollution.

Solar energy is the cleanest and most abundant renewable energy source available, and the U.S. has some of the richest solar resources in the world. Modern technology can harness this energy for a variety of uses, including generating electricity, providing light or a comfortable interior environment, and heating water for domestic, commercial, or industrial use. The U.S. solar market faces both challenges and opportunities; the industry is working to scale up the production of solar technology, and drive down manufacturing and installation costs. There are several ways to harness solar energy: photovoltaics (also called solar electric), solar heating & cooling, concentrating solar power (typically built at utility-scale), and passive solar. The first three are active solar systems, which use mechanical or electrical devices that convert the sun's heat or light to another form of usable energy. Passive solar buildings are designed and oriented to collect, store, and distribute the heat energy from sunlight to maintain the comfort of the occupants without the use of moving parts or electronics. Solar energy is a flexible energy technology: solar power plants can be built as distributed generation (located at or near the point of use) or as a central-station, utility-scale solar power plant (similar to traditional power plants). Some utility-scale solar plants can store the energy they produce for use after the sun sets. 

Good for the Environment One of the main draws to solar energy is how fits in with a growing trend to act more environmentally conscious. It accomplishes this by three ways. For one it’s renewable, unlike other popular forms of energy such as fossil fuel, solar energy won’t run out. Second, due to being renewable it’s also sustainable. As other forms of energy cease to exist, they can pose a risk for future generations that might rely on those types of power. Finally, solar energy doesn’t create the problems of pollution that coal and fossil fuel energy do.   Savings on Monthly Power Bills With financing helping to offset the initial cost, the monthly savings from having solar power can really add up over time. This is party made possible because you can ‘sell back’ excess solar energy that reduces your total power bill, in some cases down to $0.   Availability Many areas around the world are prime locations for harnessing the sun’s energy. This becomes more apparent as new technologies improve the efficiency of collecting solar power.   Maintenance Because solar panels don’t involve any moving parts, they are relatively maintenance-free. All that’s normally needed is a simple cleaning a few times a year.

Today's PV devices convert 7%-17% of light energy into electric energy. Of course, the other side of the equation is the money it costs to manufacture the PV devices. This has been improved over the years as well. In fact, today's PV systems produce electricity at a fraction of the cost of early PV systems.