BY SIDDHARTH & IRFAN

Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed
by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving
technologies. Solar energy technologies include solar heating, solar
photovoltaic, solar thermal electricity and solar architecture, which can
make considerable contributions to solving some of the most urgent
problems the world now faces.
Solar technologies are broadly characterized as either passive
solar or active solar depending on the way they capture, convert and
distribute solar energy. Active solar techniques include the use of
photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors to harness the energy.
Passive solar techniques include orienting a building to the Sun,
selecting materials with favorable thermal mass or light dispersing
properties, and designing spaces that naturally circulate air.

1 . Non polluting: no noise, no harmful or unpleasant emissions or smells.
2. Very reliable: most solar panels have a 25 year warranty and even a
longer life expectancy (the theory is they could last 100 to 125 years).
3. Although we cannot utilize the power of the sun at night or cloudy days,
we can count on the sun being there the next day, ready to give us more
energy and light.
4. Solar modules over their lifetime produce more power per gram of
material than nuclear power but without the problem of large volumes of
environmentally hazardous material.
5. Solar panels produce more power within 5 years than the power consumed
in their production.
6. Solar Power is a renewable energy source. It is a resource that cannot be
used up by us using it.
7. Although solar panels may be expensive to buy, you will save money
and our environment in the long run.
One of the main disadvantages is the initial cost of the equipment
used to harness the suns energy. Solar energy technologies still
remain a costly alternative to the use of readily available fossil
fuel technologies. As the price of solar panels decreases, we are
likely to see an increase in the use of solar cells to generate
electricity.
A solar energy installation requires a large area for the system to
be efficient in providing a source of electricity. This may be a
disadvantage in areas where space is short, or expensive (such as
inner cities).
Pollution can be a disadvantage to solar panels, as pollution can
degrade the efficiency of photovoltaic cells. Clouds also provide the
same effect, as they can reduce the energy of the suns rays. This
certain disadvantage is more of an issue with older solar
components, as newer designs integrate technologies to overcome
the worst of these effects.

How It Works ? Solar energy is harnessed and used through a process
using photovoltaic cells, also known as solar cells. These cells or panels
are usually made up of two types of silicon. Sunlight is made up of
little units of energy called photons . The solar cell is made up of
negative and positive layers, which create an electrical field. When the
photons hit the surface of the solar cell, the electrons inside the energy
from the sun are freed, pass to the bottom of the cell, and flow through to
whatever requires power. This flow of electrons is what we know as
electricity.

Fast Facts on Solar The sunlight that reaches the earth is about
200,000 times the total electrical energy generated by humans
everyday! The first working solar cell was invented by Charles
Fritts in 1883 and operated at 1% efficiency. The word photovoltaic
, the proper name for solar cell, comes from the Greek word for
light, which is combined with the name Volta, the last name of the
scientist after whom the measurement unit volt is named. All
together the word photovoltaic means light electrical or electricity
from light. Every minute, enough solar energy reaches the Earth
to meet global energy demands for a year.
A solar panel (also solar module, photovoltaic module or photovoltaic
panel) is a packaged connected assembly of photovoltaic cells. The solar
panel can be used as a component of a larger photovoltaic system to
generate and supply electricity in commercial and residential
applications. Each panel is rated by its DC output power under standard
test conditions, and typically ranges from 100 to 320 watts.
The efficiency of a panel determines the area of a panel given the same
rated output - an 8% efficient 230 watt panel will have twice the area of a
16% efficient 230 watt panel. Because a single solar panel can produce
only a limited amount of power, most installations contain multiple
panels. A photovoltaic system typically includes an array of solar
panels, an inverter, and sometimes a battery and or solar tracker and
interconnection wiring.
SUBMITTED
TO
MR. RIYAZ ( SUBJECT TEACHER )