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Understanding Solar Energy Technologies

Solar energy was first developed for NASA's space program to provide power for satellites and probes. Solar cells convert sunlight into electrical energy and have no moving parts, requiring only sunlight as fuel. They are useful in remote areas and are being used more in items like toys, calculators, and water heaters. However, solar cell production is not energy efficient and causes pollution. Solar panels are also not very energy efficient, but research is improving their performance. Recent research has led to solar thermal plants that concentrate sunlight to intensities similar to the sun's surface to generate large amounts of clean energy.

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10 views2 pages

Understanding Solar Energy Technologies

Solar energy was first developed for NASA's space program to provide power for satellites and probes. Solar cells convert sunlight into electrical energy and have no moving parts, requiring only sunlight as fuel. They are useful in remote areas and are being used more in items like toys, calculators, and water heaters. However, solar cell production is not energy efficient and causes pollution. Solar panels are also not very energy efficient, but research is improving their performance. Recent research has led to solar thermal plants that concentrate sunlight to intensities similar to the sun's surface to generate large amounts of clean energy.

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© © All Rights Reserved
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Solar energy – Group 2

The solar cell, or photovoltaic cell, was first developed for the NASA space
program and has been used to provide power for satellites and space probes.
Solar cells convert light energy into electrical energy. They are extremely
useful in remote areas because they have no moving parts to service and require
no fuel except sunlight. Solar cells are being used more and more in items as
diverse as electronic toys, calculators and solar hot water heaters.

Unfortunately the process used for the production of solar cells is not energy
efficient and also produces pollution. Solar panels are also not very energy
efficient and much research is going into improving their performance. Recent
research has led to the development of solar thermal plants. Which concentrate
sunlight to intensities similar to that of the Sun’s surface, generating enormous
quantities of cheap, non-polluting energy.

Use the following link to research more on solar energy,


[Link]
energy
Use the information provided in this handout and on the website to complete
the following activity in your science book
Questions:
1. Define the term solar [Link] energy is radiant light and heat from
the Sun that is harnessed using a range of ever-evolving technologies
such as solar heating, photovoltaics, solar thermal energy, solar
architecture, molten salt power plants and artificial photosynthesis.
2. Is energy from the sun a renewable or non-renewable energy resource?
Solar energy is a renewable resource, meaning it won't ever run out or be
in short supply. We simply need to build enough solar panels to capture it.
Solar energy reaches us via the sun's rays, while fossil fuels come from
ancient carbon-rich remains on earth.
3. Outline the two main types of solar energy
There are two main types of solar energy technologies—photovoltaic (PV) and
concentrating solar power (CSP)
4. Complete the following table outlining the advantages and disadvantages
of using solar energy.

Using Fossil Fuels for energy production

Advantages Disadvantages

The advantages of fossil fuels are that The disadvantages of fossil fuels are
they are abundant and accessible, that they are harmful to the
they provide a large amount of environment, they are non-renewable
concentrated energy, they are and unsustainable, drilling for fossil
relatively low cost and they can be fuels is aa dangerous process.
transported relatively easily.

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