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Solar Power
Solar power is the conversion of solar energy into electricity or thermal energy, either by indirectly using concentrated solar power or directly using photovoltaics – the use of solar panels which consist of various cells made of photovoltaic material.
3,946 Questions
What energy comes out a solar powered calculator?
A solar-powered calculator converts light energy from the sun into electrical energy through its solar panel. This electrical energy powers the calculator's functions and display, allowing it to operate without the need for conventional batteries.
What does a solar cell need to produce electricty?
A solar cell needs sunlight to generate electricity through the photovoltaic effect, which converts solar energy into electrical energy. The cell is typically made of semiconductor materials, such as silicon, that release electrons when exposed to sunlight. These free electrons create an electric current that can be captured and used as electricity.
What fundamental force is responsible for solar energy?
Solar energy is primarily a result of the electromagnetic force. The Sun releases energy through nuclear fusion processes in its core, where hydrogen atoms are converted into helium atoms, releasing light and heat. This electromagnetic radiation travels through space and reaches Earth as solar energy.
Solar panels do not store energy themselves. They convert sunlight into electricity, which can then be stored in batteries or fed back into the grid for later use. Additional equipment such as batteries or grid tie-in systems are needed to store the electricity generated by solar panels.
How does solar power affect the climate?
The planet's long term warming and cooling is closely related to solar variation, but not the recent global warming and climate change.
Miltun Milankovich determined the temperatures historically and predicted future temperatures based on planetary orbits and proximity to the sun. This closely relates to the data found several decades later at Vostok.
What is fossil fuels that can be obtained using current technology called?
Fossil fuels that can be obtained using current technology are called proven reserves.
How do you get the kJ solar energy in on hour?
To calculate the energy generated by a solar panel in one hour in kilojoules, you would need to know the power output of the solar panel in kilowatts. You can then convert kilowatts to kilojoules by multiplying by 3,600 (since 1 kilowatt-hour is equal to 3,600 kilojoules). This calculation will give you the energy generated by the solar panel in kilojoules per hour.
How are the energy resources linked to the sun?
All energy on earth comes originally from the sun, in various ways, for example, growing the vegetation 300 million years ago that turned into fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas). The only exception is energy from geothermal sources, that is, heat from underground.
A disadvantage of solar energy is the need for what?
A means to store energy to cover the period when the sun is not shining- night or cloudy weather.
What does PV stand for in solar power?
The photoelectric effect refers to the emission, or ejection, of electrons from the surface of a metal in response to light. It is the basic physical process in which a solar electric or photovoltaic (PV) cell converts sunlight to electricity. Sunlight is made up of photons, or particles of solar energy.
Can photovoltaic cells store energy?
Photovoltaic cells generate electricity when exposed to sunlight. They do not store energy themselves, but the electricity they produce can be stored in batteries or used immediately.
What materials are used on solar panels allow them to produce electricity?
Rays of sunlight hit the solar panel (also know as a photovoltaic/ PV) and are absorbed by semi-conducting materials such as silicon.
Photovoltaic cells are usually constructed from silicon, an abundant material that constitutes more than 28 percent of the Earth's crust. These cells are created by bonding two wafers of silicon that are connected to metal wires. The top wafer of silicon is extremely thin, covered by a chemical that stimulates electrons. The bottom wafer is thicker than the top, and is covered by a chemical that inhibits electron activity. The wafers produce electricity when they absorb solar radiation.
Which 2 forms of solar energy are we familiar with?
The two forms of solar energy that are commonly known are photovoltaic (solar panels that convert sunlight into electricity) and solar thermal (using sunlight to heat water or air for heating purposes).
Which area receives the least amount of solar energy per unit of a surface area?
The poles receive the least amount of solar energy per unit of surface area due to their high latitudes and extreme tilt away from the sun. These regions experience long periods of darkness during certain times of the year, resulting in minimal sunlight and lower energy absorption.
What happens when you put a solar collector on a flat ground?
When a solar collector is placed on flat ground, it will still be able to absorb sunlight and generate electricity. However, the angle of the collector might not be optimal for maximum sunlight exposure. Placing the collector on a tilt or using a tracking system can help improve its efficiency by ensuring it receives more sunlight throughout the day.
What trap solar energy in photosynthesis?
Chlorophyll molecules trap solar energy during photosynthesis. These pigments are located in the chloroplasts of plant cells and absorb sunlight to initiate the process of converting carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen. Chlorophyll molecules capture light energy through their structure, specifically by absorbing certain wavelengths of light.
One argument against relying solely on solar power as the main energy source for the US is its intermittency. Solar power generation is dependent on sunlight, making it unreliable during periods of low or no sunlight (nighttime or cloudy days). This could pose challenges in meeting consistent energy demands, especially during peak usage times. Additionally, the upfront costs of transitioning to a fully solar-powered system on a national scale may be prohibitive.
Can i use a 600mah in place of a 400mah for a solar light?
It is not recommended to use a higher capacity battery (600mAh) instead of the original one (400mAh) in a solar light without knowing the specifics of the light's design. Using a higher capacity battery could potentially damage the light's circuitry or affect its performance. It is safer to use a battery with the same or lower capacity as recommended by the manufacturer.
Which of the following is a problem with using solar power as a main source of energy?
Apart from the cost (which tends to go down over time), the main problem with solar power - as well as with several other types of alternative energy - is that it isn't available continuously. As a result, you may also require some storage technology.
What process is most commonly producers use solar energy?
The most common process used by producers to harness solar energy is photovoltaic technology, where solar panels convert sunlight into electricity. This electricity can then be used to power homes, businesses, and other applications.
What happens when solar energy heats in a body of water?
When solar energy heats a body of water, the water absorbs the heat, causing an increase in temperature. This can lead to evaporation, circulation of water currents, and changes in the ecological balance of the water body. Additionally, higher water temperatures may affect aquatic life and plant growth.
What is the name of A cell or group of cells producing electrical current?
A cell or group of cells producing electrical current is called a battery. It generates electricity through a chemical reaction that releases electrons, creating a flow of electric charge.
What is the carbon footprint of a photovoltaic cell?
One current estimate is 35 to 58 g CO2e/kWh (this is explained in the last paragraph of this answer). Another estimate at the link cited below says 23.6 g CO2e/kWh for thin film CdTe cells. This compares to 25 to 80 for biomass, 3 to 10 for hydro, and about 5 to 15 for wind. I have often seen huge differences in estimates of the carbon footprint of nuclear power, ranging from 2 to 288 g CO2e/kWh. It seems that the actual number is probably more than 66 g CO2e/kWh, and very possibly more than 90.
PV technology is changing rapidly, both for the actual PV and for the manufacture of PVs. The above estimate is not for thin-film PVs, and these promise to have a much smaller carbon footprint. Also, the estimate given is for PVs that are 5% efficient in producing power, and increases in power output will decrease the carbon footprint. Current PVs are mostly considerably more efficient, and at 7.5% efficiency, the carbon footprint is cut to 23 to 39 g CO2e/kWh. New, gadolinium-based PV technologies are said to be as high as 40% efficient, but I have not seen any estimates of their carbon footprints and could not guess, because I do not know how they are manufactured.
By the way, thermal solar power, such as is used in solar hot water, is about 60 to 65% efficient, and has much lower cost, in terms of global warming gasses, than PVs. It has a carbon footprint that might even be smaller than wind's.
The carbon footprint is calculated in grams of CO2 equivalent per kilowatt hour (g CO2e/kWh). Properly, this includes all phases of manufacture of equipment and fuel, transportation, installation, operation, and disposal. Calculations are often deceptive because steps are left out for some technologies, notably the decommissioning and disposal steps are often left out in calculation of carbon footprints for nuclear power. The "equivalent" part happens because of global warming gasses other than CO2. For example, the nitrogen trifluoried used in manufacture of photovoltaic panels is about 17,000 times as powerful as CO2 for global warming, so an estimate of the amount leaking into the environment from the manufacturing process has to be included.
When solar energy hits the south pole at a low angle how is energy dispersed?
The principle of how energy is dispersed has nothing to do with the angle. It's the same, whether the angle is small or large.The reason that at low angles you get less energy is that the same amount of sunlight - the same cross-section, for example, a square meter of sunlight - is distributed over a larger area.
What happens when the sun hits the solar panel?
When sunlight hits the solar panel, the photovoltaic cells within the panel convert the sunlight into electricity through the photovoltaic effect. This electricity can then be used to power various devices or stored in a battery for later use.
