Solar power which is increasingly looked upon as a panacea for the world’s energy troubles is in reality a very versatile technology. From sophisticated photovoltaic cells that convert sunlight to electricity to simple heat collectors that trap sunlight to provide heating and cooking solutions, solar energy finds a lot of use both in homes and industry.The reason why newer solar power based technologies are coming to the fore is the fact that it is a perennial source and that it is non polluting. Moreover there is no cost to it apart from manufacturing and installation. In fact there is something about solar power that lends itself vey easily to experimentation and new discoveries. It is perhaps the fact that you have the enormous storehouse of energy, the sun at your disposal and how much of that you can tap into is limited only by your imagination and creativity.

It is no wonder that it is the favourite science project of many a school child. The enthusiasm extends to the scientific community who are forever looking to push the frontiers when it comes to the deployment of solar technology for the benefit of mankind. Today the scientific community is even using nano technology to improve the efficiency of photovoltaic panels. Similarly concern for the environment has led to the emergence of a mobile phone that runs on solar power.
Read the rest of this entry »

Every household consumes some amount of power and this invariably comes at a cost to the environment. The way to get around this is to turn to solar power, which does no harm to the environment. What’s more it is perennial and there is no cost involved save that of installation.

There are two ways to achieve this. One way is by installing photovoltaic panels in the house, and the other is by sourcing it from a power facility that uses solar power. In the past it was a little difficult to think of using solar power to produce electricity for homes. Not anymore. New age photovoltaic technology has brought down the price and improved efficiency and this is something that is happening on an ongoing process.
Read the rest of this entry »

Now this has to be a very long list. Satellites, calculators, torches, cars, traffic lights, water heaters and so on. The best thing about these gadgets is that they run on an inexhaustible source of power which does not pollute the environment. The running costs are minimal and so are the costs to the environment.

The fact of the matter is that solar power is used far more widely and for far more things than we like to give it credit for. Take the case of a solar powered tent. This has its own solar panels and integrated LEDs. 4to 6 Hours of direct light are enough to yield 2 to 4 hours of tent light. Then there is solar energy powered music system. You can also charge your mobile phones and other gadgets using a charger that derives its power from solar energy.
Read the rest of this entry »

The invention of the photovoltaic cell was a seminal one for it enabled one to convert solar energy to electricity. This has far reaching consequences for mankind because it allows man to tap the sun’s inexhaustible and non polluting energy to run almost every powered appliance known to man. From automobiles to aircraft to factories to robots- most things run on electricity. Recent advances in photovoltaic technology have made them far cheaper and much more efficient than before. However this is a work in progress and new technological advances will one day make it possible to meet the requirements of an entire city by the power generated by solar power plant the size of a basket ball plant. Even now there are power facilities that run exclusively on solar power, the biggest one being in the US state of California. Such facilities can supply power directly to the community grid.
Read the rest of this entry »

One of the prime reasons why people do not go for solar power is the perceived high cost of installation. This perception is not entirely without basis because solar panels consisting of photovoltaic cells do cost a packet. However the way to getting around this is by constructing them yourself. This is how you can do it.Go to a marina and buy yourself a 16 volt solar panel. Next take a small rechargeable battery-a 12 volt acid or lead type would do quite well. Now get a DC meter and DC input. Put it all together and put the unit out in the sun to charge. Voila you are ready to use some sun created battery power.

You are probably thinking that what you want to do is to install a home built photovoltaic solar panel on your roof. Well you can do that too. What you need to do first is to hunt for a bargain on the solar cells that will go into it. You could do so on eBay. You can also go for used solar cells which will come a lot cheaper. Now encase them in a panel and you will have your very own electricity generating unit.
Read the rest of this entry »

It is recognised that solar ovens can make a substantial difference in the lives of millions of marginalised people in the world who for want of access to cooking fuel resort to burning firewood and animal dung, adversely affecting the environment and their own health in the bargain. A solar oven is a simple gadget that is easy to make, costs nothing to run, and causes no emissions whatsoever.

This is the reason why governments and aid agencies around the world have taken it upon themselves to reach these wonderful gadgets to as many people as possible. Then again solar oven projects are a wonderful way of teaching school children the importance of preserving the environment, and how it is extremely easy to harness solar energy to this end. You could teach them to make solar ovens out of used pizza boxes with the help of aluminium foils and some tissue napkins. Why you could have a whole classroom make these ovens and then donate them to an aid agency.
Read the rest of this entry »

The sun is a colossal and inexhaustible source of energy and has been meeting the planet’s energy needs since the very beginning. Be it the plants and trees that use sunlight directly or us humans who have been using carbon based fuels that indirectly derive their energy from the sun. However their burning causes terrible pollution which is bad for the environment.

A large part of this pollution is caused by the use of electric power and gas for cooking both of which directly or indirectly harm the environment. In poorer parts of the world people pollute even more by burning firewood, which causes deforestation and dung, which causes atmospheric pollution.An easy and ingenious way out for everybody is the use of solar cookers. These are basically designed in such a way that they can collect the heat of the sun and use it for cooking. These have several advantages over conventional ways of cooking. They cost next to nothing, can be constructed at home using locally sourced materials, have zero cost of running and do not pollute.
Read the rest of this entry »

Solar hot water panels are part of an apparatus that collects the sun’s heat and uses it to provide heat for domestic and industrial use. As it does not use any fuel other than the sun’s power, it is very cheap to operate and leads to zero emissions. For this to function, solar collectors are first installed at an appropriate place like the roof or attached to a sun facing wall. These collectors are usually glass mounted boxes that are insulated from inside. The heat thus collected is used to heat and circulate a working fluid or water which is then conveyed around a property.

Not only will such panels provide hot water for use at home, it can just as easily cater to dairies, breweries, canteens, schools, hostels and even industrial plants.Depending upon the type of use these kits can be of varying capacities like 100 or 200 litres a day. Most of these come with thermostats to regulate temperature and also back-up heating elements that come in handy in the winter when the sun may not be very strong.This simple piece of equipment is capable of significantly bringing down not only the electricity bill, but also the pollution levels on account of zero carbon emissions. It is no wonder then that this technology has seen widespread use in India, China and parts of Europe.
Read the rest of this entry »

The world is in the throes of an energy crisis. More and more economies of the world are developing at a faster rate than ever before demanding more energy. Already the unchecked use of fossil fuel has caused the beginning of a catastrophic global warming with dire consequences for the very survival of life on this planet. Then there is the frequent locking of horns of the developed and developing world about who should be doing the cleaning up of the environment. In such a scenario the use of solar based technologies such as solar heating panels show a way forward.

Solar heating panels use the sun’s heat to heat up a property –residential or commercial. Now these panels should not be confused with photovoltaic panels that are used to convert solar energy into electricity. Solar heating panels on the other hand use the sun’s heat to raise the temperature of air of water.The technology that goes into this is simple enough. Air or water to be heated is first drawn to the bottom of the panel; this air or water then moves through channels inside the panel and by the time it comers out the temperature would be higher by a good 10 to 50 degrees depending upon the intensity of sunlight.
Read the rest of this entry »

We have brought the world to a brink of environmental disaster because of our addiction to fossil fuels and other forms of polluting sources of power. Every source of power and energy save solar leads to some level of pollution. Fossil fuel of course is the leader of the pack with unbridled use of petrol diesel, gas and coal wreaking havoc with the earth’s fragile eco system. Hydro electric power which requires damming of rivers is now known to cause colossal social and ecological devastation and is out of favour. Nuclear power too is a dicey thing, what with the constant fear of radio active contamination.

Solar power which is power from the sun is inexhaustible and one hundred percent non polluting. Not only that, it can be used for almost anything. The invention of photovoltaic cells that can convert solar energy to electricity make it possible. You can of course also cook with the humble solar heaters and solar ovens.
Read the rest of this entry »