Solar power systems has become increasingly popular with the growing change in climate and rising fuel costs.Solar power is produced by collecting sunlight and converting it into electricity. This is done by using solar panels, which are large flat panels made up of many individual solar cells. Solar power works well for most items except large electric appliances that use an electric heat element such as a water heater, clothes dryer and electric stove – for example – or total electric home heating systems
Solar power systems have been around for a while. When the applied science first became available solar cells where acclaimed to be the end of the oil crisis and the energy crisis. We all of a sudden had ample free energy, all of it coming from the sun. Inside ten years solar power systems were predicted to heat and power our homes and businesses. Some people even believed we would be driving solar-powered automobiles soon, with long, sleek shapes covered with solar panels.
Regrettably, the reality did not quite match-up with the dream. Solar panels were expensive to construct, and unless you had a lot of panels exposed to a lot of sunlight, solar power systems did not produce a good deal of power. Even so, now that we are seeing more refinement in solar power technology, we could be witnessing a rebirth in solar power systems, at least in certain environments.
Although solar panels still absorb solar energy when it’s cloudy outside, they absorb a good deal more energy and consequently produce more power if they are exposed to direct sunlight. Solar power systems are thus much more effective in Tucson, AZ, then they are in Seattle, WA. Also, solar power systems produce more power during longer days, so short Alaskan winter days aren’t very good for solar systems. The ideal environment is in the desert, with long days and little cloud cover.
To be effective, solar power systems do not need to power an entire business community or even allow for all of the power for a private residence. Solar power systems are much more effective at heating water than they’re at producing power. Since standard hot water heaters can consume over a third of a house’s energy, replacing a gas-powered hot water heater with a solar powered heater can reduce a home’s energy bill considerably, as well as making the owners eligible for a tax cut in select states.
Solar power systems are also very useful for providing power in locations which are hard to reach with standard power lines. They’re extensively used for cell phone towers and other reflective antenna arrays located on mountaintops and other hard to reach places. Since these installations don’t require a great deal of power or maintenance to run, solar panels can provide plenty of power without needing to be maintained or refueled. Though we’re probably still quite a ways from a completely solar-powered society, we’ll likely see many more solar powered devices as solar technology becomes more refined and more efficient.
