First of all, let’s start with some information about the sun: the sun is the closest star to Earth it is 149 600 000 km from our planet. The sun is about 1 300 000 times bigger than the Earth, which means that it produces a lot of thermal energy. However, only a very small part of this energy is converted into electricity – less than 1 percent. The light and heat provided by the sun are converted into electricity by solar panels.
Like many cutting-edge technologies, solar power generation has been used in space stations and space travel. It is hard to believe because this technology is right now with us: converting solar energy into electricity to meet daily household needs, charging vehicles, and even so-called green energy parks, where solar power plants cover huge areas and produce many kilowatts (kWh). We can’t measure how much energy it produces, but around usage, we use 3-5 kWh per day and 3000 per year, but of course, it is not that accurate because we use our electricity differently. It is easily explained in the graph below that between 1995-2012 years how we use more and more solar energy (GW) every single year.
Climate protection must be a priority issue worldwide, especially in emerging countries. This requires a restructuring of the energy industry and the only way to stop climate change is to develop renewable energy sources. One of the examples can be: that we use the sun to produce energy instead of “Nuclear power generation” because it pollutes our nature strongly and solar energy produces it naturally by itself. As well this development of solar energy is closely related to the public emphasis on renewable energy. Solar energy and related technologies are questioning how much energy is spent on the production of electrical cells and the cost of running them. Recent studies in Germany have confirmed that solar cells generate 6 to 14 times more energy during their life cycle, so their efficiency and environmental benefits are evident. As well the 21st century has rapidly evolving technologies that give us the ability to live comfortably, but they are also increasingly causing us headaches to keep up with energy to always have enough of it. The energy given to us by the sun is a real treasure and our main task is to be able to use it. Importantly, the process is extremely environmentally friendly and existing solar power does not require exceptional care. Some parts of it can last for up to two decades despite the environmental impact.
Solar radiation can be used to produce both electrical and thermal energy. The most common type of electricity production is a solar power plant consisting of solar panels and the heat is generated by solar collectors that heat water or special heat carrier. It is also the most important of all renewable energy sources. It is clean, has no exhaust fumes, and is required for almost every process in nature. As a result, people have started to use solar energy more and more due to the escalating fuel crisis and environmental concerns. The sun is an enormous source of energy every minute a ton of mass is transformed into energy which then reaches our earth, but of course, only a small amount of this energy reaches us. For every collector, the most popular are flat panel solar collectors. They are coated with special black nickel, chrome, or crystal coatings that attract heat. The special liquid will then contain the heat generated inside, which will then be used as heating for the apartment or water. There is also a vacuum collector, which is more commonly used in countries with colder climates, because it can store energy when the sun shines through the clouds and it works when the special fluid in the vacuum tubes gets heated by the sun and goes to the boiler. Of course, this collector requires a lower temperature because the air is sucked out of the tubes.
When it comes to solar energy, we have to take into account it is drawbacks as well as the positive values that are good for us, but at the same time, something can be useless or even harmful. So what are the main advantages and disadvantages of solar energy? Let’s start with the positive. First of all, it is abundantly renewable and is renewable very quickly and in large quantities. It is a silent technology and has no moving power-generating devices, which means they can be stored on top of apartment buildings, homes, offices, or anywhere else because if they do not emit any sounds, it will not interfere and allow you to sleep well. This power generation also requires only little maintenance and can be implemented with simple technology and evolve over time, without checking it very often. Last but not least, the most affordable alternative would be to supply electricity in remote rural areas where energy demand is very high and where there is plenty of space to install solar panels. This means that people who live away from or very far away from cities sometimes have energy problems, that they disappear are missing, or have other problems associated with energy transfer. These solar panels would help people who live in villages to have better or even great electricity. It is also interesting for everyone to know if this technology is truly safe. We can safely say that it is safe because it does not carry harmful molecules or anything that is harmful to the nature of human beings, it is a really safe and clean technology and we can be guaranteed that in the future it will be even better at this. That would be the main advantages of having solar energy, but let’s talk on the other hand what are the bad things about solar energy. As this technology is not yet fully developed, the light conversion rate is between 10% and 17%, depending on the technology used. We can also say that the cost of this technology is very high because, as we said it is not yet fully developed. Also one of the main problems would be that this technology is only available during the day, which means that there must be clear or very low clouds so that the sun can reach these collectors and store energy. Because, as we mentioned earlier, the level of efficiency is very low, this means that under current conditions 6-9 acres of land will require the construction of a 1MW solar energy. Last but not least, installing solar parks may require a significant amount of land, which can have a profound impact on the ecosystem life there (land that will no longer receive sun, small animals will be forced to move from their homes plants will die because they won’t receive any sun anymore). Listing their minuses and pluses made you wonder how much they would cost. The range in price from 100 pounds to 500 pounds, depending on the quality and strength they can accrue over time. Further on, the CO2 consumption of this technology has become interesting. It is not very accurate to say, but it is claimed that 1 kWh consumes 20 to 50 grams of CO2, depending on the strength of the panel.
As we continue to talk about this technology, we wondered what it is future might be or if will it expand significantly. We can safely say that in the future, solar panels will no longer be as visible as they are now. They will look good and have almost the same efficiency as conventional solar panels. These panels can be darkened and used as imitations of homogeneous slate panels, but they can also be integrated into Roman tiles. This means that in the future we will see good-looking buildings and know that their roof is not simply covered, it is made to generate electricity through the sun and with it its own appearance. Here is a picture of what it might look like in the future:
In summary, solar energy, like other energy sources, has it is own advantages and disadvantages, but with the right technology, solar energy can become the most power-generating method. Of course, this method is not as efficient as it produces only a very small amount of energy from what it receives. But at this moment, only a couple of collectors are popularly used to store this energy: a vacuum collector and a flat collector these two are the most commonly used at the moment. + Solar energy is not yet fully developed to be perfectly stored without any drawbacks, but in the future, we can predict that it will have a very high demand and will be one of the main sources of energy worldwide