SOLAR 101
We have always used the energy of the sun as far back as humans have existed on this planet. As far back as 5,000 years ago, people "worshipped" the sun. Ra, the sun-god, was considered the first king of Egypt. We know today, that the sun is simply our nearest star. Without it, life would not exist on our planet. We use the sun's energy every day in many different ways. When we hang laundry outside to dry in the sun, we are using the sun's heat to do work - drying our clothes. Plants use the sun's light to make food. Animals eat plants for food. Decaying plants and organisms hundreds of millions of years ago produced the coal, oil and natural gas that we use today. So, a fossil fuel is actually sunlight stored millions and millions of years ago. Indirectly, the sun or other stars are responsible for ALL our energy. Even nuclear energy comes from a star because the uranium atoms used in nuclear energy were created in the fury of a nova - a star exploding. Solar Cells or Photovoltaic Energy We can also change sunlight directly to electricity using solar cells. Solar cells are small, square- shaped panel semiconductors made from silicon and other conductive materials. They are manufactured in thin film layers. When sunlight strikes a solar cell, chemical reactions release electrons, generating electric current. Solar cells are also called photovoltaic cells - or PV cells for short - and can be found on many small appliances, like calculators, toys and even hats. Individual PV cells are arranged together in a PV module and the modules are grouped together in an array. Some of the arrays are set on special tracking devices to follow sunlight all day long. The electrical energy from solar cells can then be used directly. It can be used in a home for lights and appliances. It can be used in a business. Solar energy can be stored in batteries to light a roadside billboard at night. Or the energy can be stored in a battery for an emergency roadside cellular telephone when no telephone wires are around. gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov |
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