Important Uses Of Solar Energy

There are several types of energy sources available in the world. These are typically divided into renewable and non-renewable sources. While non-renewable sources are currently the most prevalent in the world today, most countries are moving to more renewable ones.

These include energy sources such as wind, geothermal energy, hydropower and biomass which is derived from plants. The most prominent of these is solar energy which we would discuss shortly.

The reason for moving from non-renewable to renewable sources is not far-fetched. For one, renewable sources are cleaner and better for the environment. They are also natural, abundant and ultimately, they make power less expensive.

In addition to these, these energy sources do not require a lot of equipment. They also do not require a lot of effort to make them work or to maintain them. As it can be readily seen, they are way much better than non-renewable sources.

What is Solar Energy?

This simply refers to the energy that is gotten from the sun. The sun is a very important entity in the planetary system. It is a source of life for most living things on earth including humans, animals and plants.

Energy from the sun comes in the form of sunlight that is created by nuclear fusion. This is then harvested and converted to electricity or other forms using what is called solar panels. The sun creates two types of energy. These are light and heat and these two can be harnessed and used in several ways.

What Can Solar Power Be Used For?

Although the main reason for generating power from the sun is to convert to electricity, it can also be used for other purposes. Some of the uses of solar power are considered below.

Solar Electricity

This is probably the most important application of solar power and it has gained a lot of ground in recent years. Over time, the cost of installing photovoltaic panels has decreased making them accessible to more and more people.

The way it works is that photovoltaic panels are installed on the roof of a building or on land close to it. These panels take in sunlight and then convert this to electricity that can be used to power a home or business. Excess power may then be sold or sent to the electric grid.

Usually, the solar power system will consist of a battery to store energy for use even when there is no sun. With this, you may choose to go off the general electricity grid completely and solely rely on your solar power system.

This form of electricity is useful in remote and undeveloped areas that are not connected to the national grid. You can learn more about this at energieversum.de and see how you can prepare for the future by taking advantage of it.

You can also have concentrated solar power (CSP) farms. These farms use mirrors to concentrate the sunlight towards a receiver. This generated heat can then be used to power a turbine which in turn creates electricity.

Heating Water

Solar energy can be used in water heating systems. These systems can be used to supply residential and commercial buildings with hot water. They typically use rooftop cells to absorb heat from the sun and this is transferred to the building’s water tank.

Furthermore, they can be used to heat swimming pools. This is done by circulating water in the pool through a collector. Here, the water is heated by the sun and then it is pumped back into the swimming pool. These forms of water heating are one of the most cost-effective ways of using sunlight.

Solar Lighting

Lights are essential parts of any city, home, or building. They are ubiquitous and are useful everywhere – in parks, gardens, homes, offices, road signs, security lights, etc. Using these many lights requires that they are adequately powered.

Nowadays, a lot of public and private places use solar lighting to light up their spaces. This technology is readily available, inexpensive and comes in a variety of designs from basic to sophisticated ones.

Ventilation and Heating

Solar energy can also be used as a form of ventilation in a home. This is seen in applications such as solar attic fans which can be used to augment a building’s heating and ventilation system. This can as well be useful for people who may not be able to afford to offset their entire home’s electricity usage.

Systems such as these can be used to pre-heat the air in a building, especially in cold weather thus reducing energy costs. They may also be used to power radiant floors or heat a home using forced hot air.

Portable Devices

Our world today is connected in different ways using phones, tablets and computers. These devices need to be kept up and running. Portable solar chargers are available to help keep them charged and ready to go.

Some portable devices like calculators and watches even integrate small solar cells into the devices to ensure they keep working. You can learn about more ways to use this form of energy here.

Conclusion

The sun is a crucial part of the planetary system. Asides from its importance to life, living and growth, it offers many other benefits. One of these is that it can be used to provide electricity and other forms of energy for daily use.

It is a source of clean energy that is renewable, abundantly available and cheap. You can take advantage of this to power your home and appliances and thus lower your energy bills.