Governments, non-profits and many research agencies are all racing against time to find better ways to use solar energy and generate solar power electricity. Sun is the only resource that is universally available and can be used to power our entire homes by using solar panels.
Various applications for solar power electricity have been found and increasingly people are turning to these environment friendly options. So, it makes sense to exploit Solar energy.
Today, technology has made it possible to extract solar power electricity at a much lower cost than was possible earlier. Also, as the demand for more and more energy is steadily rising around the world the cost of these raw materials like coal, crude and gas are also proportionately going up. This has made the exploitation of solar energy a more attractive option for everyone.
There are many areas in a normal home that can benefit from solar power electricity and one in particular is the heating of water. Water heating is one area that consumes most energy in any household and this can cost you quite a lot of money.
Solar Water Heating
Solar water heating systems comprise of a water storage tank, heat transfer fluid (HTF), and solar thermal collectors. Solar heaters work by using a solar collector to heat up water directly or using a “working” fluid. The solar collector itself is filled with a conductive fluid that takes heat from the sun and warms the water. Depending on where you live and the amount of sunlight your collectors receive can provide up to 80% of your home’s annual water heating needs. This application does not exactly use solar power electricity but solar heat. Solar cookers are another application of this technology.
Solar Powered Refrigerator
Ever think that the sun can make things cold, and cut costs at the same time. Solar powered refrigerators are thermostat controlled which allows you to set the temperature of your refrigerator and freezer. There is minimal noise as it runs because the power source to it is flowing naturally and constantly. They also come in a variety of sizes as well as colors in order to fit into any solar powered kitchen using solar power electricity. The same principle can be used with other appliances.
Solar power electricity can light up homes. You could use it to light up gardens, walkways, gazebos and driveways. Solar powered emergency lamps are another application. Solar electricity has also found many industrial applications. Large amounts of steam and heat are generated with heat collectors and used to generate heat and electricity which in turn are put to many uses.
We have paid the price for not using clean energies like sunlight and wind. Our uninhibited burning of fossil fuels for our energy needs has lead to a situation where if we don’t stop further exploitation of our planet we all stand to make irreversible damage to Earth which threatens our very survival. You must have read about climate change and global warming due the buildup of carbon-di-oxide in the upper atmosphere.
We have mentioned a few environment friendly solar options for your day-to-day use. There are a lot more available and a lot more are coming into the market everyday. It is left to us to make use of these to make difference to our world.
