One of the best experiences I ever had was when I participated in a local solar energy science fair. Despite my professional experience, as it turns out when I was a kid, I was never very good at science, so I saw this as a challenge. I enjoy doing new things, especially activities that I don’t have a lot of experience in. I initially thought it wouldn’t go very well, but then I thought of something that I had seen on a camping trip years ago, and decided to make one. Instead of creating something with solar panels like everyone else was, I decided to focus on what I enjoy the most: food! That’s when I decided to make my very first solar cooker. To be honest, I didn’t win the contest, but I did have a lot of fun and I figured out how to make one with really simple steps. Let me tell you what I did, and maybe you can do the same.
The first thing you need are a couple boxes. They don’t have to be very big, but one has to be a little smaller than the other. That’s because in between the gap created by the different box sizes, you have to insert shredded newspaper. This will be a makeshift insulator that is necessary for the solar oven to work. Another thing you will need are pieces of black construction paper that you put inside the smaller box. Outside of the solar oven, you need to have reflective panels that can focus the light, at 45 degree angles, into the box where the food will be cooked. What I did was wrap tinfoil around four square pieces of cardboard, and propped them up with dowels so I could adjust the angle.
The last part of the process is the easiest: put your food in the center of the box! Depending upon what you’re cooking, and the time of year that you make the box, it could take several hours for the sun to cook your food. You can literally make anything in this solar cooker including soup, appetizers, salads, casseroles, desserts and even bread. There are also lots of recipes on the Internet that you can access for free, so no matter what type of food you would like to cook, there is probably a recipe for it on the Internet. It was a very exciting project for me, and I’m glad I took the time to try it out. Hopefully this little experience that I had making a makeshift solar cooker for a solar energy science fair project will inspire you to try to make one yourself.
Summer is winding down and the kids are back in school, presumably learning some good stuff. But I always try to take advantage of good opportunities to teach my own kids a few things about science in general and solar energy in particular. Since it was a sunny morning, I pulled my son away from the computer, where he was busy on CheatsPulse looking up Adventure World cheats so that he could get a leg up on his friends in the game. That new Zynga game is taking up way too much of his time, but that’s another story altogether. He objected vehemently at first, hoping he good squeeze out a little more gaming time, but the promise of some ice cream after a short outdoor adventure lured him away.
I told him to bring along his calculator, and that got a few weird stares. My goal today was to teach him about photovoltaic cells, a key part of solar energy, and how they work to power some of the simplest electronic devices, such as his pocket calculator. Essentially, the photovoltaic cells have semiconductors inside, and when sunlight hits the cell, a portion of it is absorbed inside the semiconductor material. When this happens, electrons break free, providing the energy needed to power the simple calculator. Since it’s a cheap device, we decided to pry it open and take a closer look.
Surprisingly, he was very intrigued. There’s something about little boys and breaking things apart that just seems to work well. After a while, he had forgotten completely about his video games and we spent an enjoyable afternoon together out in the sun learning about how solar energy works. He didn’t forget the promise of ice cream, though, and about an hour later we were getting another lesson in the power of solar energy: it’s ability to melt ice cream very quickly.
And of course, soon after the experiment, he was back on the computer looking up some new Club Penguin cheats for his ongoing obsession with that game.
I attended a seminar about solar water heater last weekend and it interest me quite a bit! I want to share all the facts that I’ve gathered from that seminar. I hope I will be able to convey the message to you clearly and keep you interested not bored!
Usage of solar-powered water heaters is really taking off throughout different hotels and establishment where comfort really matters. Typical domestic uses of hot water are for cleaning, cooking, bathing, and space heating. Water heaters powered by electricity typically use 4500 watts, which puts them out of reach for many.
Well, here comes the solar power heater. Solar energy is a great way to free yourself from electric monthly bill. In order to heat water using solar energy, a collector, often fastened to a roof or a wall facing the sun, heats working fluid that is either pumped or driven by natural convection through it. The collector could be made of a simple glass topped insulated box with a flat solar absorber made of sheet metal attached to copper pipes and painted black, or a set of metal tubes surrounded by an evacuated glass cylinder. It will the one to deliver and store the hot water into the household or an establishment. If you’re not sure of where to begin, try talking to your neighbors or reaching out to vendors through your neighborhood association.
The device is kind of not so cheap when you purchase it but to if you’re going to think about the monthly bill that you are going to pay when you use an electric water heater you may as well agree with me that this one will work efficiently and it eliminates monthly frustrations!
Critics of solar power are quick to point out that its currently horribly inefficient. And to a point, they’re somewhat correct. We’re still not at a point where the technology for solar power conversion has advanced to the point where it’s practical or economically feasible to convert solar power into electricity and use it to power most of modern society’s power needs. Mass-produced cheaper solar panels only convert solar power to electricity with 15% efficiency.
But the other day I was reminded of something while sitting outside in the hot summer sun. I went to pick up my black computer bag which had become hot to the touch after just a short while of sitting in the sun. Too often we criticize solar power for its inefficiency in conversion to electricity. But when all we want to do is to capture the heat from the sun, solar becomes a very viable and economically sound choice. It makes sense for countries all over the world that get sun, whether that in the high mountains of Peru or the sun splashed beaches of Thailand.
Take water heaters, for example. Solar powered water heaters make a lot a sense in most of the United States, and apart from the initial installation and plumbing work, don’t require much ongoing energy costs. And they also don’t need expensive photovoltaic cells. When you compare them to the ongoing costs of powering a water heater throughout the year on normal electrical power coming from a coal plant or other traditional power source, it wouldn’t take you long to recoup your initial investment and of course, you’d be doing yourself and the planet a favor.
Take a look up in the sky on a sunny day and you’ll witness the most amazing, powerful, and incredibly renewable source of energy known to man. The Sun. Of course, don’t stare directly at it or you’ll risk going blind. It’s just another reminder of how powerful the Sun really is.
As a species, we’ve been using solar energy for quite some time. Man has used it since ancient times to dry everything from clothing to animal hides. But we’ve been slow to adopt solar energy on a significant scale, primarily because in the 20th century, we lacked the technologies to efficiently capture and store it.
On a sunny day, each square meter on Earth receives approximately 160 watts of power from the sun over a 24 hour period. That means the entire planet receives about 84 terrawatts of power in a day. That’s a tremendous amount of power. Of course, we lack the means to capture and harness sunlight over every square meter of the globe, but you can quickly get a sense of solar energy’s potential.
The biggest obstacle to widespread adoption of solar energy is the relative inefficiency of converting raw sunlight to usable power. Solar technology has come a long way in just the last 20 years, but significant and costly obstacles remain preventing widespread adoption. Still, if you take the long view–something we should be doing a lot more of when it comes to energy and environmental issues–you’ll soon discover that solar energy is the best long-term solution for much our needs.
Think of it this way. Most of the inhabitants of our planet got along just fine for 4 billion years relying almost entirely on solar energy. Power and warmth from the sun was so important that our ancestors quite literally worshiped it, creating several gods who represented the power and life that the sun brought to their lives. I was reminded of this while my son was playing an adventure called Time Tangled Island on Poptropica. In this quest, you need to retrieve a piece of a sun stone mask belonging to an Aztec tribe. Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec sun god, was the most important god of all. He was the god who told the Aztecs where to build their city, and it was to him that human sacrifices were often made.
Can we adapt our approaches to energy consumption to do the same? The answer is yes and while the road to get there is long, it’s possible. We need smart and innovative approaches, an assessment of all the possible choices, and a well-thought action-plan to move to solar, but it’s possible and absolutely can be done.
Solar energy is a particularly promising form of renewable energy. Solar panels convert the energy from the sun into electricity, which can be used to power homes and businesses. The technology has advanced significantly in recent years, making solar panels more efficient and cost-effective. Additionally, the cost of solar panels has dropped significantly, making it a more accessible option for a wider range of people.
One of the major advantages of solar energy is that it is a clean and sustainable source of energy. It does not produce any emissions or pollutants, making it a much more environmentally friendly option compared to fossil fuels.
In terms of implementation, solar energy can be used in both small and large scale applications. Residential homes can use solar panels on their roofs, while large solar farms can be built to provide electricity to entire communities.
Solar energy is a valuable and growing sector in the renewable energy field. With continued research and development, it has the potential to play a significant role in reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and combatting climate change.
Some Benefits of Solar Energy
Solar energy has several benefits. Some of the main benefits include:
Renewable and sustainable. Solar energy is a renewable and sustainable source of energy. It does not produce any emissions or pollutants, making it a much more environmentally friendly option compared to fossil fuels.
Cost-effective. The cost of solar panels has dropped significantly in recent years, making it a more cost-effective option for a wider range of people.
Versatility. Solar energy can be used in both small and large scale applications. Residential homes can use solar panels on their roofs, while large solar farms can be built to provide electricity to entire communities.
Energy independence. By generating electricity from the sun, households and communities can become less dependent on traditional power sources.
Job creation. The solar energy industry is a growing sector and is creating jobs in the field of installation, maintenance, and research and development.
Reducing carbon footprint, Solar energy does not produce any greenhouse gas emissions, which is a significant benefit in terms of reducing the overall carbon footprint.
Low maintenance. Once installed, solar panel systems require very little maintenance, making them a convenient and reliable source of energy.
Increased property value. Homes and buildings with solar panel systems have been found to have a higher market value, which is an added benefit for property owners.
Overall, solar energy is a valuable and growing sector in the renewable energy field, and it continues to be an important part of the solution to combat climate change, and increase energy independence and security.
