Important Things You Must Know About Solar Energy In 2018

Have you ever wondered about solar energy really works? It isn’t just about energy from the sun but a ton of amazing things to know about. From the history of solar energy down to the potential it has to offer, here are the awesome facts of solar energy that may change the way you see it!

Here are the top eight cool facts solar energy has:

1. The Amazing Potential Of Solar

When you add how much solar energy is absorbed from the Earth’s atmosphere, lands, and bodies of water, then you’ll be able to have 3,850,000 exajoules (EJ). The amount of energy is equal to about 40,000 times of the TOTAL energy consumption in US, 8,000 times of the TOTAL energy consumption worldwide, and about 2.7 million earthquakes! The sun strikes earth with about 173,000 terawatts of energy. Now that’s a ton of energy households and plants can use for power and electricity just from the sun!

2. It’s WAY Environment-Friendly

Yes, using solar power is definitely greener compared to using the conventional way of getting energy sources, like coal or fuel. But what you also have to realize is that there are a few issues about manufacturing solar panels, along with the disposal and recycling of its byproducts. Have you ever wondered where solar panels go once they are unusable? But regardless of this, using the sun compared to fossil fuels and coal for power is better.

3. Solar Energy Has Powered Aircrafts!

Yes, you’ll be amazed to know that NASA works on solar-powered aircrafts ever since the 80s. Their projects include the Helios Prototype, the Pathfinder, and the Pathfinder Plus, which is an effort on using solar power for long duration high altitude flights.

Fun fact: The Helios Prototypes reached an altitude of almost 97,000 in 2001, the highest altitude reached by aircrafts that weren’t powered by rockets.

4. Solar Energy = Nuclear Fusion

If you have heard of nuclear power before, this is a term that describes ways on how to harness energy from nuclear fission and fusion. The nuclear fission would produce a large amount of heat, almost how it powers the sun. Because they are similar, scientists have now been working on how we can harness nuclear fusion, which is known as “the holy energy grail of energy.” It has been studied for decades and there is still no knowledge of when we will actually be able to tame the nuclear power.

5. The Sun Is Beginning To DIE

Solar energy is a renewable energy source because the electromagnetic radiation from the sun (sunlight) won’t be gone anytime soon. But it does have its time limit! Based on astrophysics, the Sun was born almost 4.6 billion years ago, with another six or seven billion years before it turns into a white dwarf, which is the stage where the star’s nuclear fuel is exhausted). But there’s no need to worry about the Sun’s death because there’s over five billion years before it may end up turning into a red giant and swallow the Earth!

6. A CSP Plant Has A TON Of Power

Did you know that just one CSP (concentrated solar power) plant will be able to power about 70,000 homes? These plants are situated in certain areas, usually around Arizona, Nevada, or southern California. There have even been studies that show CSP systems have the ability to integrate to energy-producing plants around the United States, which can help with powering up homes, reduce pollution, and help with climate change.

7. Who Uses The Most Solar Photovoltaic Energy?

While the world’s largest solar energy project us in the Mojave Desert (California), which is under construction, the countries which use the most solar photovoltaic energy are both Italy and Germany. Other countries which use big amounts go solar energy are from the United States, Spain, and Japan. Spain and the United States are the nations with a significant CSP capacity.

8. How Do You Capture The Solar Energy?

There are two ways on how we capture solar energy, which is through solar photovoltaic cells (PV) or concentrated solar power (CSP). PV would capture the sun’s rays, converting the solar energy to electricity. CSP would transfer energy to a receiver and use mechanical energy to create electricity.

Wrapping It Up

Yes, solar energy is one of the most popular and amazing ways to save the environment while keeping your home or office with the electricity it needs. And if you are wondering about how you can begin solar in your own home you can contact solar Brisbane. You’ll be able to find many types of companies that offer installation for it. So don’t wait any longer and begin making the change today!

If you have any questions or would like to share your tips and experiences then comment down below. I would love to hear what you have to think.