10 Interesting Facts about Solar Energy.
Facts about solar energy everyone needs to know
In this article, I have come up with the most interesting facts about Solar Energy which most of us are not aware of. As you read through these facts about solar energy given in this post you’ll discover that recent advances in solar power will help our environment as never before and ensure the future of our planet.
In today’s world of ever-increasing energy costs, many people are looking for a more affordable energy alternative to gas or electric power. It need not be over-emphasized that solar power is an exciting, eco-friendly, and ever-expanding industry today and our switch to solar will secure affordable power for our homes and businesses for years to come. Finding affordable solar power applications for your home is a step in the right direction to reduce your carbon footprint and save money too.
To learn about the solar power basics i.e. how solar panels work, the impacts of solar power on our health, the availability and growth of solar power, and much more, go on reading the various solar power facts listed in the post.
Interesting facts about solar energy
As more people across the U.S. are currently switching over to Solar Residential System, here are some of the interesting solar power facts that every one of us needs to know:
1. Solar power is harnessed from the energy radiated from the sun. Specifically, solar cells (Photovoltaic cells) with which solar panels are made of, capture solar radiation, and convert it to electricity to power our homes and domestic appliances;
2. Sunlight is composed of minuscule particles called photons or “packets” of energy, which radiate from the sun in the form of electromagnetic waves. As these light particles hit the Photovoltaic cells made of silicon, the energy from the photons is transferred to the loose electrons in the silicon atoms. The energized electrons are then able to escape their bond with the atoms and move freely from one layer to the other layer of the cells resulting in a flow of electricity. This is how solar panels work to convert solar energy to electricity;
3. Direct sunlight is not needed by the Solar panels to produce electricity although direct light helps to produce the most energy;
4. In order to capture optimal sunlight solar panels need to face a particular direction depending on the geographical location of the place. In the USA, the Solar panels are normally required to face south in order to capture optimal sunlight;
5. A typical solar panel produces eight to ten kilowatts of power per square foot;
6. You can use solar power to run air conditioners, hot water heaters, or any other appliances currently using natural gas, electricity, or oil. It’s the cheaper, safer, and more eco-friendly solution;
7. At night when the solar system is not generating power in real-time, you can use a special battery for storing solar power as a backup for your solar system. However, most modern solar units use a net metering system.
Net metering is a system hooked up to your city’s power grid that will provide energy at night for lights and other home appliances as usual, in exchange for the excess energy your solar panel system shares with the grid during the daytime. For this, an export/import meter is installed by the power company to monitor how much is being imported or exported during the day. For controlling energy deficits, net metering is an easier and cheaper system than storing excess solar power in batteries;
8. Most of solar panels have a capacity of 200 or 250-watt;
9. The average home in the USA consumes around 10000 kWh of electricity annually, which means, to power an entire home you will need about 30nos, 250W Solar Panels, receiving a daily average of four hours of sunlight;
10. The amount of solar energy that hits the earth in one hour could fulfill all the earth’s energy needs for an entire year! However, due to mountains, oceans, and other geographical constraints, most of this energy is impossible to collect through solar panels. In order to power our entire planet with renewable solar energy it would require installing solar panels over an area of 191,000 square miles;
Other important facts about solar energy
Facts about its impact on public health:
1. Greenhouse gases, which are produced when fossil fuels are burned, lead to rising global temperatures and climate change which contributes to serious environmental and public health issues. Solar power is one of the cleanest renewable energy resources in the world. Solar energy produces 80% less carbon emissions than fossil fuels. Except for some toxic materials and chemicals are given off during the manufacture of solar panels (Photovoltaic cells), solar energy does not produce any air or water pollution or greenhouse gases;
2. By going solar, demand for fossil fuels will be reduced and greenhouse gas emissions would be considerably limited. Installing a solar energy system at home can have a measurable effect on the environment. According to the US Energy Information Administration, judging by the usage of electricity by the average home in the state of Connecticut in the north-east US, switching from fossil fuels to solar power has the same emissions reduction effect as planting 155 trees every year;
3. A household rooftop solar panel system can reduce pollution by 100 tons of CO2 (carbon dioxide) in its lifetime;
4. An analysis by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) found that widespread solar adoption would significantly reduce Nitrous oxide, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter emissions, all of which can cause health problems. NREL found that, among other health benefits, solar power results in fewer cases of chronic bronchitis, respiratory and cardiovascular problems, and lost workdays related to health issues;
5. There is no noise pollution associated with solar power as there are no moving parts involved in most applications of solar power and photovoltaic cells silently convert the sun’s radiated energy to electricity. This compares favorably to certain other green techs such as wind turbines;
Solar energy facts related to cost and affordability:
Many people are not aware of the facts about solar energy with regard to its cost and affordability. Here are some of the vital solar energy facts and information related to the cost of this clean energy:
1. The cost of solar panels has dropped by about nine percent than it was a year ago, which indicates that the coming years are likely to see utility-scale solar becoming cost competitive with conventional forms of electricity generation;
2. The cost of manufacturing solar panels, and thus the cost to consumers, is expected to become the cheapest form of alternative electricity in no time. This will make solar energy a much more compelling and viable investment for all types of households;
3. At present, the average cost of installation of a residential solar system ranges from $2.87 to $3.85 per watt in the USA. The average solar energy system size in the U.S. is approximately 5 kilowatts (kW). Based on an average price of $3.36/watt, a 5kW system would cost around $12,000 after Federal tax credits, plus the rebates that may be offered by the state;
4. Solar power being a free source of energy, once solar panels are installed and start running, maintenance cost is minimal and returns are high;
5. To avoid steep upfront payments for buying a solar panel system, solar energy companies and financial institutions are now offering solar loans to give buyers an easy payment plan over a fixed term. Solar loans generally give the borrower immediate ownership of the panels, meaning they can benefit from solar tax credits, rebates, and lower energy costs as soon as the panels are up and running. This makes solar power more affordable for everyone;
6. The majority of today`s solar power systems do not require a lot of maintenance. Residential solar panels usually only require cleaning a couple of times a year. Most solar panels have a 20/25-year warranty, and if you buy the panels through loan financing, most companies provide free maintenance of the system;
7. If you generate more electricity from your solar system than your own requirements, many states allow you to sell the excess energy you produce, meaning you can not only earn back the cost of your panels but also make a profit on energy in the long run;
8. Most states offer solar incentives and solar rebates to reduce the cost of your solar PV system. The incentive programs may vary considerably from state to state. While it takes the average homeowners six to fifteen years to pay off their solar panels, those living in sunnier climates or states with good incentive programs can do it in as little as two years;
9. The incentive programs are meant to encourage people to switch to more sustainable solar energy production. Some solar incentive programs pay you back over time, based on the energy you generate. Other solar incentives are one-time payments of rebates or credits. These regulatory and financial mechanisms for making solar energy more affordable are all helping to increase the adoption of solar energy across the United States.
Solar energy facts about its growth potential
Here are some important facts about solar energy regarding its growth potential globally:
1. Solar energy is a renewable energy source. Solar power will continue to be a very reliable power source as long as the sun keeps on shining and radiating heat every day. Our ability to harness solar power is solely dependent on technology, location, and cost;
2. Since pollution can obscure the sun’s rays and stop light from reaching the Earth, as more and more people switch over to solar power and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Earth’s capacity to harness solar energy would be greatly increased;
3. According to the latest data, based on cumulative solar capacity installed, California generates the most solar power in America, followed by North Carolina, Arizona, Nevada, and New Jersey;
4. According to a report of 2016 released by ‘The Solar Foundation’, the U.S. solar industry is currently employing more than 260,000 workers, a nearly 25% increase in the number of jobs from 2015, and this number is expected to increase to more than 360,000 by 2025. As per the report this jump is largely driven by a massive increase in solar panel installations;
5. According to a report published by the International Energy Agency (IEA), more than 303 GW of installed PV power was operational worldwide at the end of last year, This global capacity, the agency claims, is enough to produce 375 billion kWh annually and to cover 1.8 % of the electricity demand of the planet. The agency also reports that China is currently the largest PV market, with over 78 GW of cumulative installed solar power, followed by Japan (42.8 GW), Germany (41.2 GW), the United States (40.3 GW), and Italy (19.3 GW);
You may also like to read this related post: Advantages of Solar Energy
Frequently asked questions
Before I conclude the discussion on important facts about solar energy let me also reply to some of the often-asked related queries.
Do solar panels work at night?
Although solar panels can function on cloudy days, they cannot work at night.
The Solar panels cannot work during the night because for generating electrical current solar cells of the panels are activated by sunlight which is called the photovoltaic effect.
How much solar power hits the Earth?
Solar is the most abundant energy resource on earth. About 173,000 Terawatts (a unit of power equal to one trillion watts) of solar energy strikes the Earth continuously which is more than 10,000 times the world’s total energy use.
How long do solar panels last?
Solar panels last and work at their rated capacity for more than 25 years. In fact, the longevity of solar panels has increased dramatically over the last 20 years.
Conclusion
As you read through the important and interesting facts about solar energy listed in the post you’ll discover that recent advances in solar power will help our environment as never before and ensure the future of our planet. Using renewable green energy produced by the sun to power our homes to reduce our long dependence on nonrenewable energy sources will mean less pollution and a reduction in the harmful emissions of Co2 and other greenhouse gases. The solar power facts listed above clearly prove that despite the upfront costs, a solar energy investment more than pays for itself in the long term.
On going through the solar energy facts described in this post it is evident that the impressive growth in the U.S. solar industry in recent years is going to help to pave the way to a cleaner, more sustainable energy future of the states. As the cost of a solar energy system has dropped significantly over the past few years affordable clean solar energy for households is now a reality with many products and resources available to average homeowners.
