Solar energy has been very popular for quite some time now in the time where environment has been becoming a major concern in a whole world. It’s a renewable energy coming from the sun. More and more people are considering replacing fossil based energy as it’s destructive to our environment, while solar energy is much more friendly.

The way to convert solar energy to electrical energy or heat is to use solar panels. Solar panels or also known as photovoltaic panels, contains atoms which will be excited by the sun’s energy. It will generate electric current, and then used by a myriad of external devices. The use of solar panels is a great way to cut energy costs and to reduce carbon emissions, and also to become more self-sufficient.

Solar panels can be installed at home, office, even industries. Solar panel installation must be properly executed, because it must installed on whichever side of the house or office that gets the maximum solar exposure. If the location of the house or office is at the south of the equator the solar panel must be facing north, and if it is at the north of the equator its facing south.

Using home solar panels at our home to convert solar energy to electrical energy or heat, will bring many advantages to our lives. We can together save the world from more environmental damage which has been destructing the earth. We can also save more money in the event where fossil fuel price raise significantly as it’s a energy source that is not renewable. Industries in the modern era obviously make it depleted faster than expected.

The sun will always be there. So you don’t have to worry losing your energy source. Solar panels are the perfect answer to both issues, to prevent environmental damage and to have a renewable energy source.

Maybe because they realized the importance of the energy of the sun. As we enter the 21st century, we look back, after all our malpractices which have almost destroyed our planet, at what the ancients had figured out way before than we did: To value the energy of the sun.

It is the relentless energy of the sun, which it has in store aplenty to light the world for many generations to come, and its advantages are numerous. Consider some of them to have an idea about them.

Free Forever

The sun has been providing its energy to the tenants of planet Earth for millennia now, and is continuing to do so. It is up to us to utilize this energy, which is available without any charge.

Earlier civilizations like the Greek and the Egyptians are known to have used the energy from the sun. It should act as an inspiration for the modern civilization.

Environment-Friendly

The process of using energy from the sun is environment-friendly and completely free of any pollution whatsoever, let it be environmental or noise pollution. It is much safer, simple and cost-effective than expensive and hazardous means of power generation like using fossil fuels, which give away carbon emissions and other greenhouse gases that are deteriorating the condition of our atmosphere, and our planet is increasingly being affected by global warming, which is a proven threat.

Reliability

There are no questions whatsoever about the reliability and availability of the energy from sun. The sun has been around for billions of years, and will continue to carry on its works for even billions of years further. And it provides us energy every day to light our part of the world, and does the same job on the other parts of the globe when it sets in the areas you are living in. Unlike other energy sources, the solar energy is always available on a good portion of the populated land, and it is up to us to utilize it to the fullest.

Unlimited Potential

If properly addressed and worked on, with technological advances, we can potentially settle all the power problems of the world through one source, the energy from the sun. If you consider it, the potential of the energy of the sun that can be exploited for power generation is unlimited, and yet the current power production from solar energy constitutes even less than 1%. In fact, the solar energy that falls on Earth after every 8 minutes is enough to fulfill the power requirements of the United States for the whole year. Although it is not actually possible to utilize absolutely the entire solar energy that reaches the surface on the earth, but we are no where near as well.

Why Realizing So Late?

Yes, the ancients knew it, but how come we did not figure it out for centuries? Why cannot we effectively and efficiently use the immense amount of energy from the sun? Why such a huge amount of solar energy is being wasted every single day?

The greatest reason for those questions is the fact that the sunlight reaching the surface of the Earth is so sparsely scattered that it is not easy capturing it to be utilized for our energy needs as efficiently as its potential.

In order to create a substantial difference in successfully utilizing the solar energy for our use is to develop an efficient mechanism to capture the energy of the radiation of the sun as an energy source, to convert it into our required form of energy and to store it.

So far, human beings have only been able to devise three mechanisms for this purpose.

The Reflection or Parabola Mirror Method

A method right out of the ancient history textbook, the Reflection method is based on the idea of concentrating the rays of the sunlight on one point by the positioning of one or several mirrors, and the heat energy extracted out of the sunlight is used for the desired purpose. The similar method is also carried out through a parabola mirror, which is shaped like a dish antenna, and it is also used to concentrate the sunlight on a point to produce heat energy.

The Radiation Method

An ingenious yet simplistic method, that is the basis behind the concept of solar water heaters. It is carried out by placing black colored pipes, placed between two closely gripping layers of glass, and they are exposed to the sunlight. The sunlight heats the water up due to the radiation of the heat energy from the sunlight.

The Photovoltaic Method or the Solar Panels

It is one of the most popular methods today, and the only one being used for power generation.

It is based on the innovation of a solar cell, which is made up of treated silicon crystals, which are excited when exposed to the sunlight, and electrons are knocked out of their orbits as a result of the excitation and a hole is created in the crystal from which an electron had just escaped. It is filled by an electron from the crystal next to it, and since another hole is created while doing so, a steady flow of electrons, or an electric current is attained through this chain reaction of electrical charge. The electric current produced as a result can either be used immediately, or could be stored in a rechargeable battery for later use.

So Why are We Not Using Solar Energy?

So, despite of our knowledge about all the benefits of solar energy, why are we not using it even near to its total potential? Why there are only a few solar power plants around the world, the output of which is hardly 1% of the total power production of the world.

Firstly, the point about their cost of investment is raised to be a problem in using solar power, and even the reliability is considered as a hurdle, as solar energy cannot be utilized unless the sun is clearly able to send the sunlight on the surface, which is not possible if the sun is covered by clouds or during nights.

Another reason for that simply is the fact that we have not yet been able to devise a technology that efficiently converts the extent of solar energy received into a respective amount of electricity, as the solar cells can only convert 20% of the energy that falls on their surface into electrical energy. Such a level of production is not deemed sufficient for power production on a commercial basis.

However, that does not by any means imply that we should discard solar energy. The good news is that technological research is being carried out for an improvement in the efficiency of the photovoltaic system, and some considerable improvements are expected, both in cost and efficiency, and soon the technology will be acceptable to be adopted both for commercial and personal use.

Particularly changing your habits in how you consume your energy can really make a difference. As the world tries to agree on and come up with a solution to reduce carbon emissions and control rapid climate change, we can actually set out to act on things we are sure about: a few examples how.

Save Energy At Home

Take care that the electric supply is turned off when your electrical appliances are not in use. These devices can eat up a lot of power in the stand-by mode.

Use energy-saver bulbs. Not only will that save energy as the name suggests, but are more cost-efficient than the regular bulbs as well.
Recycle religiously. Never underestimate the importance of recycling. Your waste is literally gold when it comes to the amount of it that can be recycled. Bottles, cardboard, cans, aluminum, and most of all paper and plastic.

Be especially very careful on how you handle paper. That can really be one of your greatest contributions towards the environment. Recycling is also more cost-effective. The cost of producing 20 recycled cans is same as the cost of manufacturing a fresh one.

You could benefit from solar panels for your energy sources if you receive a decent share of the sunlight. Find out ways to heat your house with minimum energy utilization, such as insulating it. A mere three degrees lower on your thermostat can save you energy up to 10%.

When heating or cooking, be careful to heat or boil only the amount you need. When washing clothes or dishes, try to use lukewarm water as much as you can.

Saving Energy At Your Office

Avoid paperwork as much as possible and feasible, and if using paper is necessary, use both sides. Try to store your data in digital media. The advances in communication technology have eliminated the barriers posed by geographical distances. Use video-conferencing and such modes of communication instead of extensive traveling overseas to cut costs and energy.

Just like all other electrical appliances, make sure to turn your computer off when you are not working. Computers can use a lot of energy even in the stand-by or screensaver mode.

Burn Lesser Fuel While Traveling

Try to use fossil fuel burning vehicles as less as possible, and use cycles for shorter distances. A collective adoption of this trend will get rid of those traffic jams and crowded parking lots.

Try carpooling. Not only will that be saving you some money, but will prove to be a more efficient way to move to your workplace. If possible, use public transport as much as possible. This is a mode of traveling that transports a lot of people with minimum fuel consumption.

Also, avoid air travel as much as possible as it is one of the major contributors towards the environmental pollution. Select vehicles utilizing hybrid energy sources. This will allow for efficiency with minimum fuel consumption.

Remember the Environment While Shopping

Discourage the consumption of meat by setting an example. Livestock is one of the major pollutants. Plastic Bags are one of the greatest environmental hazards and are irritatingly hard to dispose off. Never accept or use them while shopping and always use reusable bags.

Always go for Organic Food. Not only is it good for the environment, but for your health as well. Moreover, since it is produced locally, you dont really have to pay for those extra transportation costs.

Save Water

Last but not by any means the least is the importance of conserving water. Water is one of the most precious objects on this planet, since it is the fountainhead of life itself.

We cannot imagine living a day without it. This is how you can start saving water and becoming less wasteful.

When you brush your teeth, dont just stand with water running down the drain in full flow. Always prefer showers to baths. Make sure to use a full load while using your washing machine or dishwasher.

Instead of wasting your drained-off water, take steps to set up a mechanism that utilizes your drainage to water your garden. This will also make you a little more careful about the types of soaps and detergents you use.

Watering your garden during early morning or just before sunset will ensure that water is not evaporated and is fully absorbed by the plants and grass. In this way you dont have to waste a lot of water for gardening.

Place large containers in your garden under the edges of your roof. This will allow you to use rain water for watering your garden.

Following these simple and cost-effective steps, you can ensure to play your part in protecting the environment, conserving energy sources, while also doing yourself and the society an economic favor by cutting your costs at the same time. Start now.