Solar Energy
Science Project
By: Japreet Banipal 7B4
The Precious Source of Energy We Call "THE SUN"
It’s a powerful source of energy! People have been using the sun's energy for millions of years. We use this solar power in 2 main ways: as a heat source,like to warm up food or to keep us warm at cold times and as an energy source,like to power our eletronics and to let us have eletricity in our homes. In fact, the sunlight that shines on the earth could provide the human race enough energy for an entire year!
Solar Radiation
Solar radiation is how solar energy actually reaches the earth. 50% of direct and difussed radiation is absorbed by land and sea. 20% of radiation is absorbed by the atmosphere and clouds. Another 20% of it is reflected from the clouds. 5% of it is reflected from the land and sea's surface. 30% of it is lost in space because of the reflection and is scattering. And the other 5% has backscatteerd to space by the atmosphere. Then that 50% that was absorbed by land and sea hits the solar panels and then the solar panels use that to power our earth.
That's how we get our solar energy as a power source!
Enviromental and Economic Impacts
The environmental impacts of solar energy are land use (no room will be left for important things like forests and farms). Habitats loss (animals will lose their homes and will some plants too).Hazardous materials used to make the panels can be very bad for the enviroment depending on the resources, which are two things: photovoltaic solar cells (PV) or solar thermal plants (CSP).
The economic impacts of solar energy are the investments like the $2 billion of personal money that has been invested in Ontario's solar energy projects, which are estimated to increase up to $12 billion by 2018. A recent study has shown that the cost of producing Ontario`s solar energy will cost less per month per household because solar power offers more jobs depending on the money invested than any other energy source, which creates more opportunites for jobs and the industry.It also helps decrease the use of expensive imported oil as an energy source, so we can save money for other things to help our country and stop oil spills from happening.
Solar Panels
Advantages:
-Constantly Improving, so each year they would work better and better than before
-Cheap Bills, so you can save up money to go on vacation or for renovations
-Little Maintenance, so that you can enjoy your free time even bond with your family
-Powers for Many Hours, so you don't have to worry about rushing with the energy
Disadvantages:
-Expensive to Install, so you could lose a lot of money or maybe just maybe go bankrupt
-Relies on the Sun, so at night you can only use the energy that was stored during the day
So Go Buy Your Own Solar Panels If You Can Accept The Cons!!
More About Solar Energy and The Sun's History
The Magnificent Sunflower
It is a native plant to North and South America. It possesses a large flowering head that often represents the sun. Which is the solar energy source it is named after.
Our Beautiful Sun
“Solar” is the Latin word for “Sun”. Families in ancient Greece built their homes to get the most sunlight during the cold winter months.
World's Solar Energy Map
This map shows the solar energy in our world. The blues and greens represent the coldness and lack of sun. While the reds, yellows, and oranges represent the large amount of sun.