|
Solar Facts
Technology News
|
Could Solar Powered Cars be The Way of The Future? |
 |
Recent advancements in electric propulsion systems have led to a new wave of eco-friendly cars, which may soon be using solar energy to charge as well as electrical systems to operate. Many of the new breed of hybrids will have plug-in capability that will allow their owners to plug them into a charging station to power up their battery packs. Homeowners who use solar energy will be able to utilise the power of solar to charge, rather than relying on grid generated electricity - saving a fortune in both petrol as well as electricity. This is just one of the advancements making solar heating technology such a viable option for the future.
READ MORE |
Solar Power Shoulder Bags Now On the Market |
|
A US company has partnered with a retailer in Germany to produce portable solar powered devices that use sunlight to create electric power, which is able to recharge almost any gadget including MP3 players, cameras, mobile phones and game consoles. Dubbed Sun Bags, these amazing solar power devices are lightweight and easy to carry, measuring just 37 x 29 x 13cm and weighing 500g. The bag is available in 37 different colours and even offers customised printing, creating a new level of solar convenience that has not been seen before in the commercial market.
READ MORE |
New Battery Enables Solar Power at Night |
|
|
Professors from Massachusetts Institute of Technology have invented a new liquid battery which has the potential to be a large electricity storage device and can overcome the challenge of solar power only being effective during daylight hours. The battery is made from liquid materials, including molten metals, and is set to be a huge advancement in solar technology. The research team has stated that the battery will be ready for commercialisation in approximately five years.
READ MORE |
Solar Thermal Technologies Heating Up |
|
Solar thermal technologies, those that use the sun's heat as an energy source, continue to move from the conceptual to application stage. Water heating dominates the short history of solar thermal technologies. The most recent statistics from the Energy Information Agency (EIA) highlight the market importance of low and medium temperature collectors used for either heating swimming pools or residential water heaters. Solar water heating systems for pools, residential and industrial use, typically consist of a solar collector, which gathers the sun's heat and transfers it to water passing thought the plumbing system on its way to a storage container. Solar water heating systems save money by reducing the electricity costs associated with traditional water heating. They are also environmentally friendly because saving electricity also means avoiding the pollutants associated with electricity production.
READ MORE |
Solar Thermal Technology Heats Up |
|
SAN FRANCISCO — Solar thermal technology that attempts to harness the efficient phase change from water to steam is emerging as the preferred alternative energy technology in the race to replace fossil fuels with sustainable energy sources, experts agree. Along with cost per watt, solar thermal's biggest selling point is its ability to store energy and deliver electricity to consumers during periods of peak power demand. Experts at a solar conference here this week said "concentrating" solar thermal power could allow utilities and other emerging operators to store steam energy for up to six hours. Super-heated steam is used to drive turbines that generate electricity.
READ MORE |
Solar Energy - Water Heating |
|
Solar energy is the radiant light and heat from the Sun that has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation along with secondary solar resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass account for most of the available renewable energy on Earth. Only a minuscule fraction of the available solar energy is used. Solar power provides electrical generation by means of heat engines or photovoltaics. Once converted, its uses are limited only by human ingenuity. A partial list of solar applications includes space heating and cooling through solar architecture, potable water via distillation and disinfection, daylighting, hot water, thermal energy for cooking, and high temperature process heat for industrial purposes.
Solar technologies are broadly characterized as either passive solar or active solar depending on the way they capture, convert and distribute sunlight. Active solar techniques include the use of photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors (with electrical or mechanical equipment) to convert sunlight into useful outputs. Passive solar techniques include orienting a building to the Sun, selecting materials with favorable thermal mass or light dispersing properties, and designing spaces that naturally circulate air.
READ MORE |
Solar Collectors: Different Types and Fields of Application |
|
Solar collectors transform solar radiation into heat and transfer that heat to a medium (water, solar fluid, or air). Then solar heat can be used for heating water, to back up heating systems or for heating swimming pools.
READ MORE |
|
|
|
|
