Friday, July 23, 2010

Solar Power Electricity – Some other Solar Energy Benefits


I have talked many times previously in this blog about the various "solar energy benefits". One of the biggest solar power electricity advantages is that you get to help the environment a lot. Our planet is suffering a lot in terms of problems such as global warming and other problems such as deforestration etc. Deforestration is indeed a serious problem and is a big problem because trees are cut down to help meet our electricity needs. But of course this problem can be eliminated by using solar energy to meet our electricity needs. Anyway, I will address the issue of deforestration in another post. Of course one of the biggest solar energy advantage is that you get to save a lot of money on this. So anyone looking to save money either on their electricity bills or just on other things such as taxes etc. can benefit tremendously with the usage of renewable sources of energy and taking advantage of natural resources that are abundantly available. Also, it is a really interesting project to work on especially if you are looking to engage in some interesting activities or just do something useful in your spare time or give back to society something useful. Anyway, now that we have addressed the "why" of solar energy, now it is time to address the "how" of solar energy benefits.


The energy that all other energy sources are derived from

Of course, please do not misread the title. When I say "all other energy sources are derived from", I am referring to all the other energy sources that we use on earth. Other stars are self-sufficient and do not depend on the sun to generate energy. Of course, no offense to any of you for underestimating your obvious knowledge about this. J. However, there is indeed one exception to this rule. This exception is geothermal energy. This energy comes from the core of the earth and is independent of solar energy since the planets were formed millions of years ago. All other sources of energy on the earth such as chemical energy, energy in plants, mechanical energy etc. directly or indirectly. For example, all living beings on earth depend on the sun for survival and for satisfying basic living being's needs. The energy that we get for moving our hands and other parts or muscular energy comes from food which indirectly comes from other living beings which in turn make use of solar energy for survival. In this way, every source of energy is in some form or the other dependent on the sun. Another exception to this rule again is nuclear energy which comes from the atoms and is independent of the sun completely. I need to check this up properly before i state anything. So do not cite my source.
One of the most exciting areas of growth in solar energy and a big solar power electricity advantage is the technology of photovoltaic cells. Photovoltaic cells technology has been termed as the fastest growing technology in the whole world. This is great news indeed for all the countries and the governments looking to set up solar power plants or solar power installations utilizing solar energy benefits to meet their electricity needs.
This is very similar to the solar panels that some people have in their houses except that it generates electricity on a much larger scale. But Photovoltaic cells or PV's are used in both cases.
It is a known fact that most people in the united States and other countries in Europe make the most efficient use of solar energy to support more than upto 20% of their energy needs with the help of these solar power installations thus helping by saving a significant amount of money. Therefore, since the sun shines very abundantly in most places in the world, it is not exactly very tough to make use of this energy and convert it to other useful forms of energy. Therefore, anyone looking to cut their electricity bills need to consider solar power electricity very seriously. This makes it a very nice are for research and development as well.

How much money can I save with solar power electricity?

This is one of the most commonly asked questions when it comes to people who are considering whether or not to set up and install solar panels in their houses. But this is sort of a tough question to answer as it depends on a lot of independent factors. One of those factors is how much space you have available to set up these solar panels. Space is important as the more space you have, the more solar panels you can set up and the more electricity you can produce and the more heated water you can have. Of course, the initial payment for these may look a little intimidating. But let me tell you that many people including myself have overcome this initial investment after a couple of years. As a matter of fact, you also start to make money after a certain point of time. You should look at it as an investment rather than as "solar power electricity cost".

The other advantage with solar power electricity is that you use this solar power along with the traditional energy sources that you already have. The way this works is that there are times when you cannot make use of solar energy such as during night times or during cloudy or rainy days. In such cases, you can set it up in such a way that traditional energy sources can be used when there is no opportunity for solar power to be produced. Even something as little as 15% to 20% of savings on your monthly electricity bill can go a long way in saving money for you. So go make the switch to solar by using the various solar power electricity advantages and save money for not only yourself but also help your planet and your future generations.
To a greener future,
Andy.

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