Facts about Solar Electrical Energy

The sun. A natural choice of Electrical Energy. Anywhere.

Sun provides the Earth with natural energy free of charge in the form of light and heat. Without harming the environment, we use solar technology to convert the sun's radiation into electricity.

This practically inexhaustible energy source is exploited in a very gentle way witout noise or harmful by-products. Lighting is one of the many applications of solar energy. Electricity can be generated photovoltaically from daylight.

Light is made up of countless energy particles, known as photons. If these photons strike a semi-conducting material, such as solar PV panel, they set electrons in motion thus producing electricity.

Lighting that needs no grid connection

One of the main objectives in the development of solar street-lighting was to provide optimum lighting in locations where no other power supply is available.

Wide variety of types

The optimum number of modules for the solar generator is determined by the topography, the average number of hours of sunshine and the energy requirement. Equiped with batteries and moduless in ample quantities, power supply is sustained hrough bad weather periods with no sunshine and minimum power generation thus presenting nil problems in situation where bad weather periods lasting for days.

Solar Power - just like power from the socket

Solar cells convert sunlight into electricty directly. The inexhaustable supply of sunlight is used to generate power witout noise, pollutions or residue.

The complete package for solar power

The system is a complete photovoltaic system for independent, environment current with 230 V. It is ideal for use in areas where no power grid is available, for instance in remote areas, sites and villages. The System can also be used to provide an additional, independent power supply, in households, especially in regions without a guaranteed reliable power supply.

Solar water heating

Another "passive" method of using solar energy at home is a thermal solar water heater. These systems use the familiar flat glass or plastic panels seen on roofs and in backyards.

Sunlight passes through the panels and is collected by a dark absorber plate. The plate warms liquid passing through pipes - either the household water supply or an antifreeze solution that is used in a heat exchanger in the water storage tank.

Solar water heaters are popular in areas that do not have natural gas service - replacing an electric water heater with a solar model can reduce water heating costs by 50 to 80 percent every year. And over the 20-year lifespan of the equipment, more than 50 tons of carbon dioxide emissions will be displaced.

The initial cost of a solar water heating system ranges from $1,500 to $3,000; in many cases, the cost will be paid back in energy savings in less than eight years.

If you're interested in a solar water heating system, be sure to check your local building codes - many communities require a conventional water heater as a back up.

Photovoltaics

An emerging type of residential solar power is called photovoltaics. This technology uses semiconductor material to convert sunlight directly into electricity - if you have a solar calculator or watch, you're already using photovoltaics. More than 10,000 homes in the United States are entirely powered by solar energy.

The advantages of a photovoltaic (PV) system are numerous: it's non-polluting, there are no moving parts, it operates silently and requires little maintenance. Photovoltaic power can also be stored in deep-cycle batteries for evening or back-up use.

But economically, photovoltaics are rarely cost-effective for the average homeowner. A PV system produces low-wattage direct current electricity, compared to the 120-volt alternating current supplied by utility companies.

This means PV set-ups require different wiring, along with an expensive inverter to be able to run appliances. Sizing a PV system to provide enough power to run high-wattage appliances like refrigerators, air conditioners and stoves can quickly put it out of most homeowners' price range.

Photovoltaics can be used to produce large amounts of electricity. PV power plants, located primarily in California, use massive lenses and reflectors to concentrate the sun's energy on a fluid-filled pipe.

The heated fluid is used to drive a conventional electric generator. As with wind turbines, solar energy is used to supplement existing fossil fuel power plants.