Solar Power Introduction

Principle of Renewable Energy Systems:

• Renewable energy is energy from sources that are constantly being formed 

• Types of renewable energy includes: 

Solar energy

Wind energy

The power from living things: biomass 

The power from moving water: hydro/micro-hydro and tidal waves Earth’s heat 

• Remember, all sources of energy, including renewable sources, affect the environment. 

Solar Energy - Power from the Sun: 

Before discussing the solar energy aspects let us see the geographical aspects of sun 

The diameter of the sun is 1.39*10^4 km and the black body temperature of sun is around 5777 K 

• Most renewable energy comes either directly or indirectly from the sun. 

• Direct solar energy is used every day, like when the sun shines on a window and heats the room 

• Solar energy can also be used indirectly to generate electricity in solar cells Passive solar heating/cooling 

• Passive solar heating is the use of sunlight to heat buildings directly 

• In the Northern Hemisphere, south facing windows receive the most solar energy 

• Therefore, passive solar buildings have large windows that face south 

• Trees – A house shaded by trees is a much cooler house during the summer. Also, keep in mind that during the winter, the leaves are gone off the deciduous trees, so the winter sun can still shine into the home. 

• Natural ventilation – Natural ventilation requires pressure differences to move fresh air through a building. 

• An average household could reduce its energy bills by using any of the passive solar features Active solar heating • Active solar heating is the gathering of solar energy by collectors that are used to heat water or heat a building • Solar collectors, usually mounted on a roof, capture the sun’s energy • A liquid is heated by the sun as it flows through solar collectors • The hot liquid is then pumped through heat ex changers, which heats water for the building.