Solar Power vs. Wind Power

Renewable energy is clean, affordable and infinite. It doesn't produce emission and can help imaintain clean air and water. The two most common forms of renewable energy are solar power and wind power.

Solar Power

Solar energy is used to generate electricity which can be used to power many household appliances like the air conditioning unit, heater and range. It is collected and converted during the day when the sun is at its peak; and used the most at night. Harnessing solar energy reduces carbon footprint because no fossil fuels are burned. It's most cost effective when power or electricity rates go up.

Wind Power

An example of one of the common ways to harness wind energy is the wind turbine or windmill. Wind turbines have blades more than 200 feet high which are moved by wind power to create electricity. They provide unlimited clean energy as opposed to energy from fossil fuels.

Wind turbines, like solar panels, are efficient but environmental restrictions can limit their installation. While solar panels can be placed on roof tops and can blend with the urban landscape, wind turbines are not that easy to put up. Since these are huge structures, they are not fit in densely populated urban places so they are rarely a good power alternative in the city.

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How Solar Cells Power Your Devices

The hype over solar energy has been going around for decades, and technologies that use them, like calculators, solar cars, and solar lamps, are now a common thing. The dream is to someday harness all the energy that the sun radiates to the Earth to lessen demands for electricity; but for now, powering individual devices would do.

Solar cells are used for many things, but not a lot of people truly understand how sunlight is converted into electricity. The answer to that question lies within that small box of black panels you see on your calculators.

Solar cells, which are also called photovoltaic (photo means light and voltaic means electricity) cells, directly convert light into electricity by using semiconductors like silicone. When light enters the panels and hits the cells, the semiconductors knock off a few portions of light and absorb the rest. The absorbed portion is turned into energy and is then to a free flowing electricity by knocking off a few electrons.

When the electricity starts flowing, it is guided by an electric field produced by the solar cells. This current is than tapped by metal contacts that guide the electricity to power a  particular device.

For devices that demand a lot more power, a battery may be installed in the system to hold the power provided by the solar cells. An inverter that would regulate or convert the energy may also be used.

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Superman, the Supreme Solar Panel

Superman is one of the greatest and most popular comic book superheroes ever. However, few know the reason why he wears red underwear outside his costume. The answer is found in the era when this fictional character was conceived—the 1930s. Back then, circus strongmen wore underpants over skintight spandex to signify their super-strength and endurance. Joe Shuster, the original Superman artist, literally drew inspiration from this strongman ideal, and  this article of clothing had stuck (and refused to be undressed) ever since.

Another piece of trivia may surprise people: Superman is a solar battery. All his powers depend on solar energy, absorbing and converting it into fuel, pretty much like solar installations. In the real world, the process of converting solar radiation to current electricity to generate electrical power is called photovoltaics, or PV, In this method, solar panel semiconductors, commonly made of silicon, generate electrical power by converting solar radiation.

These rectangular panels can be installed on the roof as roof tiles, flat-roof mounted or ground mounted. Using solar energy has many benefits, including free energy, zero greenhouse emission, and reduced carbon footprints.  Although solar energy is still quite expensive and its storage technology is still in its infancy, it will soon save man from destroying himself, something even Superman can't do. Call your local solar installation company to discuss with you this energy saver.

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Understanding the Basics of Solar Power

Solar technology is quickly gaining ground as an alternative to fuel and electricity. Cars, gadgets, satellites and even home electrical systems are now powered by energy-efficient and environment-friendly solar batteries. How exactly does this technology work?

Solar batteries are also called photovoltaic (PV) cells, a scientific name that can help you better define its mechanics. Photo means light and voltaic, named after the physicist Alessandro Volta, refers to electricity. It follows then that photovoltaic cells transform light energy from the sun into useable electricity.

These cells are made of semiconductors, silicon being the most commonly used. It is this material that absorbs most of the light energy for conversion to power. The absorption knocks certain electrons loose. The electrical fields within the cell capture these electrons and force them to flow in a streamlined manner at a certain direction. This flow of electrons is now the electrical current which can be drawn out for external use by affixing metal components at the top and bottom of the PV cell.

The total power of the electrical output will depend on the strength of this current along with the cell's voltage  which is based on the electrical fields present in the structure. This is why there are PV cells capable of powering only a simple calculator while others are strong enough to power a house.

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