These days, it is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the many grave warnings from ecological and environmental experts, as regards climate change. According to these experts, the human race is teetering on a precipice – if we make big changes to the way that we use fossil fuels right now, we might be able to reverse some of the damage. If we do not, the consequences will show themselves in extreme weather, natural disasters, and worse.
The good news is that renewable technologies have come on leaps and bounds over the last twenty years. For example, there are now millions more households using solar energy to heat, light, and power their day to day lives. The question is, how does solar energy actually work? And what is its relationship with solar power – are they the same thing? How do solar panels convert raw energy from the sun into working lights and running water?
The Difference between Solar Power and Solar Energy
For most people, the terms solar power and solar energy are interchangeable. They are used interchangeably on a fairly regular basis, so this is a fair misconception. They are, however, a little different. Whilst solar power refers to the conversion of photons (from the sun) into electricity, solar energy is a much more generic term. It can be used to describe any process whereby energy from the sun is turned into a different kind of energy.
So, solar energy can be turned into water heating, space heating, cooling, and industrial process heating. It can be used in accordance with solar troughs, solar dishes, solar panels, solar engines, and even solar towers. At its most abstract, solar energy can be used to describe the way in which eco-friendly buildings are designed to take advantage of the sun.
Understanding How Solar Panels Work
The most basic component of a solar panel is a solar cell, which is ordinarily made up of one or two layers of silicon based semiconductors. As the sun comes out and the solar cells are bathed in light, they are also hit by photons. This causes the solar cell to build up an electric charge. The simple way to explain this is to say that the ‘photovoltaic process’ generates voltage from the photons – this is where the electric energy comes from.
There are scores of these photovoltaic cells all nestled together on solar modules. These are inserted into solar panel frames and installed on the top of roofs which are exposed to a lot of sunlight. To make sure that the electric energy produced by the solar panels is suitable for use in the home, an inverter is employed to switch the current from DC to AC. At the moment, it is this inverter which is the target of innovation, with many companies now producing responsive inverters for ‘smart’ solar panels.
It is very important that the current be switched to match the current of the grid – and back again, when necessary. In other words, as most solar powered homes are not 100% powered by solar energy, the current needs to move in both directions. If there is not enough direct sunlight to power a home, the regular supply must be able to kick in. Once the sunlight returns, the inverter can make another switch and bring the solar energy back into play again.
Using Solar Energy to Power Modern Homes
The use of solar energy to power homes is extremely important, because it gives us a chance to take advantage of a renewable energy source which is completely consequence free. It produces no harmful emissions, only very basic technologies are needed to harness it, and it can be used across vast swathes of the planet; in fact, anywhere which gets a decent amount of sunlight during the daytime. It represents a possible future for our planet, one which no longer depends on harmful fossil fuels.
