Solar Energy A Non-Conventional Energy

 Non-Conventional Energy

THE SOLAR ENERGY

The Sun

what is Conventional energy ?

Conventional sources of energy are those which have been used by man for a long time and are still being tapped and used abundantly. These include Coal, Petroleum, Natural Gas and Hydel Power. Except for Hydel Power, these sources of energy are non-renewable, cause pollution and are more costly than renewable sources of energy. 

What is Non-conventional sources of energy ?

Non-conventional energy sources are those that have been developed in the recent past as an alternative to conventional energy sources. Non-conventional energy include Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Tidal Energy, Geothermal Energy, Nuclear Energy and Bio-gas. These are renewable and therefore durable, pollution free, less expensive and easier to maintain. Being a source of energy is considered as a future energy resource. Let see now, How Solar energy help us as a Non-Conventional sources of energy?

'SOLAR ENERGY'

(as a Non-Conventional sources of energy)

✹Solar Energy✹ Sun is the ultimate source of energy. India is fortunate enough to receive a higher amount of solar energy equivalent to 5000 trillion kwh per year. India is located on the tropic of cancer, so India gets more solar energy. In most parts of the country there are 300 clean sunny days in a year and the power per hour square kilometer capacity of solar energy ranges from 5 to 7 kW.

Generation of Solar Energy

✹Solar Cells✹ These are known as photovoltaic cells. Solar cells are made from a thin wafer of semiconductor material from silicon and gallium. When the sun's rays hit them, the sun's energy is converted into electricity. Solar cells are widely used in calculators, electronic clocks, street lights, traffic signals, water pumps, etc.

Photovoltaic Solar Cells

Together, a group of solar cells can generate enough electricity to run street lights, irrigation water pumps, house heating, etc.

Solar Cooker

✹Solar Cooker✹ Solar cooker reflects solar radiation and covers a glass sheet using a mirror which covers the black insulated box. Raw food is kept in a box; The side walls are painted black for efficient absorption of light. The box is heated from the outside so that heat cannot escape. Inside the box emits heated infrared radiation for which the glass windows are opaque. This maintains a significant amount of energy entering the furnace. The cooking pot is placed inside the box and cooking is possible. A new design of solar cooker is now available which includes space with round reflectors instead of plain mirrors which have more heating effect and more efficiency.

Solar Water Heater

✹Solar Water Heater✹ One of the most successful applications of solar energy is in the field of water heating. Sunlight is allowed to fall on flat-plate collectors, which are shallow rectangular trays that are filled with water and tilted properly to maximize collection efficiency. It consists of an insulating box that is painted black from the inside and has a glass lid to collect and store solar heat. Inside the box it has a black colored copper coil through which cool water flows. The coil heats up and the water heats up and flows into the storage tank.

Benefits Of Solar Energy

✹ Solar energy is a renewable source of energy that can be used in most parts of the world.

✹ It can be used for various purposes - to generate electricity in areas without access to the power grid, to spread distilled water in areas with limited clean water supply and to power satellites in space.

✹ It saves fossil fuels like coal and petroleum, is used to generate electricity and also reduces electricity bills.

✹ Solar energy systems do not require a lot of maintenance. Most reliable solar panel manufacturers give 20 - 25 years warranty. Also as there are no moving parts, there is no wear and tear. So after covering the initial cost of the solar system, it requires little spending on maintenance and repair work.

Considering their benefits, many countries of the world, including India, have started producing these sources of energy on a large scale. Besides, continuous research is being done for development of Technology in this field to reduce the cost of production and to make them more cost-effective.