ENSC 13300 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Concentrated Solar Power, Space Debris, The Surplus

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What is Solar Energy?
Solar energy is something that we have really been looking into in
recent years, if for no other reason than to try and find a better way to
deal with getting energy without hurting the environment. If you don’t
know a lot about solar energy, it is basically energy that we get from
the sun that we convert into energy that we can use, whether that
energy is used for electricity or for heating/cooling.
Solar energy simply means energy that comes from the sun. Sun is a
powerful source of energy. Without it, there would have been no life
on the Earth. It is renewable, free, widely available and clean form of
energy that is currently in use by many home and business owners
for variety of purposes.
In this article, we’re going to give you a closer look at exactly how
solar energy works and, in particular, what solar panels are and how
they can help us to achieve our goals when it comes to using solar
energy in an effective manner. Let’s dive in and take a closer look at
the cleanest type of energy that we have access to in today’s world.
How Does Solar Energy Work?
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Solar energy is all about converting the energy from the sun into
energy that we can use. There are three major ways that we can do
this.
1. Photovoltaic Processes (PV)
Photovoltaic processes happen with PV devices, which take the
sunlight and make it into electricity.
PV processes use materials that are known for naturally
changing sunlight into electricity, which are known in the
science world as semiconductors.
When the sunlight hits these semiconductors, they produce
electrons, which are pushed through the device and make a
current.
PV devices are still in development at this point in time; some
rays of light, including UV and infrared, cannot be utilized by PV
devices. This can be problematic when the sun is not shining
brightly and these are the main rays that are being produced.
2. Solar Heating and Cooling (SHC)
Solar heating and cooling (SHC) is all about thermal energy.
The energy that is created from the sun is switched into energy
that can be used to either heat or cool the devices that are
being powered.
At this point, there are processes that can help in almost any
context that you can imagine, from commercial buildings to
homes.
The main reason that solar heating and cooling devices are
necessary is because we need to reduce our dependence on
natural gases and other fossil fuels.
Technology in the SHC sector is always changing and
adapting, and advances are being made in this area of science
every single day.
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Document Summary

Solar energy is something that we have really been looking into in recent years, if for no other reason than to try and find a better way to deal with getting energy without hurting the environment. If you don"t know a lot about solar energy, it is basically energy that we get from the sun that we convert into energy that we can use, whether that energy is used for electricity or for heating/cooling. Solar energy simply means energy that comes from the sun. Without it, there would have been no life on the earth. It is renewable, free, widely available and clean form of energy that is currently in use by many home and business owners for variety of purposes. Let"s dive in and take a closer look at the cleanest type of energy that we have access to in today"s world. Solar energy is all about converting the energy from the sun into energy that we can use.

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