SOLAR ENERGY

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All of us know that without sun there would be no life on earth. Without sun light we cannot make food and, there would be nothing for us to eat.

The sun also makes the wind blow and the ocean currents flow. Its heat makes clouds, rain, snow and all the climatic changes on our planet.

We can utilize the light or heat which comes from the sun. There are many different ways to use solar energy. Satellites are also working with the help of giant solar panels. Plants grow with the help of solar energy. We are getting rain from clouds with the help of solar energy. So solar energy is existing, since the sun was born.

It is amazing to note that the Greeks were the first to use solar architecture, over 2000 years ago. They built their houses so the Sun’s rays entered during the winter, but weren’t able to enter during the summer. Entire city were built this way. The Romans got the idea to put glass in windows, which allowed the sun’s light to pass through but trapped its heat. 700 hundred years ago people used simple magnifying glasses to concentrate the light of the sun into beams so hot they caught wood on fire. In 1700s some one in Europe found out that water could be boiled by collecting the sun’s heat behind a few panes of glass. A water heater using solar energy. In 1920s people heated their water with solar hot water heaters. Fifty years ago a new technology was invented using solar panels to turn the sun’s light directly into electricity.

There are endless ways to use solar energy. All these ways can be divided into two basic categories. First one is, Solar thermal Energy. We can use the sun’s energy to heat things he water in our houses, the food in a solar cooker and so on. This is done with the help of solar thermal energy. Thermal means heat, so solar thermal energy just means heat energy from the sun.

In the 2nd way we can use solar energy is to turn light from the sun directly into electricity, using solar panels. Solar electric panels are made up of silicon, the same thing that makes up sand. There is more silicon on the planet than almost anything else. But making a solar panel is difficult and expensive. The silicon has to be heated to super high Temperatures in a big factory, and then formed into very thin wafers. When sunlight hits a solar panel, it makes electrons in the silicon move around. The electrons flow through wires that were built into the solar panel and thus we have electricity. We can do whatever we want with this electricity, run a calculator, a CD player etc. In order to use it in night time or when sun stops shining on solar panel, a battery is attached. The batteries are big, heavy, rectangular boxes, sort of like car batteries. Electricity from a solar panels flows into attached batteries while the sun shines, and then the stored electricity in the batteries can be used at night, or when the sun is behind the clouds. The average size of a solar system that completely powers a house is 2,000 watts. That’s not a lot of power just enough to run 20 or 30 light bulbs. To makes 2,000 watts of power we need solar panels that are about 24 feet long by 10 feet high. That’s about as long as one and a half cars and a little higher than most of your ceilings. We can save energy by using solar energy. Solar ovens needs no electricity, gas or wood to work, they cook food using sunlight. Solar cookers can also be used to make water safe to drink, make doctor’s tools safe to use, and heat water for laundry. Anything you can cook in a normal oven. Though solar energy is more expensive when compared to ordinary electricity made by coal plant, it is safe for the environment and hence solar energy is not much expensive.

Most of the rich people, upper Middle class families in Madurai are not accustomed to use solar energy. Solar water heater may be installed in their houses and thus they may help to save electricity. Nowadays, there are a lot of apartments built in and around Madurai. Promoters may come forward to use solar energy by installing solar panels to get light in the common area and fix solar heaters to each flat. Government may also come forward to give subsidiaries in installing solar water heater, solar cookers etc. Bank and financial institution may also come forward to sanction loans for using solar energy in domestic use and give necessary propaganda for using solar energy. Many people are being residing in the extension area in Madurai. It will take more time for the Government to erect street lights in those area. So people from that area can join hands and come forward to utilize solar energy and can light up their area.