Saturday, January 16, 2010

How To Get Solar Energy Planels

Solar energy is the heat and light that comes from the sun. Since the beginning of recorded history, humans have been using that heat. In the most recent past, people have developed ways to collect the solar energy and store it or use it in other ways. Using solar energy reduces the costs of energy over the long-term.

Only a very small percentage of the solar energy is able to be collected. Estimates range from 5 - 15%. How do we capture and use that energy? There are two basic categories: active and passive.

Actively Picking up Daylight

Active methods of collection and use include using solar thermal collectors, photovoltaic panels for solar energy collection, pumps, and fan systems. The equipment used to run these can be electrical or mechanical, but the end result is a system has been manufactured to collect and process sunshine.

Passive Collection For Buildings

Passive collection is the opposite. It means benefiting from the natural properties of daylight. For instance, it might be placing a new building in the right direction to exploit the sun, using materials that have light dispersing properties, or coming up with places that offer good air movement. These are sometimes measures that are done at the design and building stage, and are meant to provide life-long savings to the building owners.

And The Award Goes To.

So which wins between active and passive? They have different functions. Active is usually considered the "supply side" of the equation. It's the part that provides more energy to the building and its people. On the other hand, passive solar methods reduce the need for other resources and energies, and are considered "demand side" methods. Both work well together, and should be considered whenever their use is warranted.

Now, let's have a look at photovoltaic a. K. A solar electricity panels and where they're used.

Agriculture All About The Sun!

One prime place that solar power panels have been used is in the discipline of farming and horticulture. The more effectively growers can use the energy of the sun, the bigger their yield will be. There are numerous passive techniques incorporated ,eg stumbling heights between rows, timed planting cycles, for example. Some areas with a much shorter growing season have used fruit walls to help collect solar electricity. These help to keep the plants warm and extend the growing season in a passive demeanour.

Solar energy has also been used for pumping water, brooding chicks, and drying crops. A prime use of solar energy panels in recent years is to run grape presses at vineyards.

Turning On The Lights Naturally

Daylighting systems use daylight to meet the wishes for illumination within buildings. This effectively replaces synthetic lighting, and also decreases the necessity for air con. There are plenty of psychological advantages to working under natural lighting ( instead of synthetic lighting ) and

While much of a daylighting system is passive, incorporating careful window decisions, etc, in some places solar power panels collect the daylight in the day to use across the building after the sun sets. In Hot Water? Solar power panels are really helpful when it comes to heating water. Whether for within the home for out in the pool, solar electricity panels can significantly decrease the price of heating water for all uses.

About the Author: