Solar Power, Solution to Global Power Needs

Power is important in our daily activities. From businesses to household chores, we can never see a single day where we do not need power. This growing number of power requirement is actually the result of our technological advancement. We can’t deny the fact that technology helped us a lot but we have to find an alternative source to cope with the situation.

Other than posing a problem these days, oil based fuels literally has limited supply. The backbone of any fuel source is its supply. And when it lacks the right supply, it would not just pose environmental problems but also a problem as a commodity.

It is clear to see that any product, ones becomes a commodity, like fuel, can pose a problem when the demand is not met. You may think you may not directly get hit by this fact but if you’ll realize that most of our power needs these days come from fossil fuels, then you’ll see the problem that is waiting to erupt.

One source that could literally outdo any other sources is solar power. Others are quite skeptical on the idea of using solar power as the main source. That is because we are blinded with perceived stability of oil, others also see the higher price tag that comes with solar panels. But fortunately, solar is very much capable of making a sustainable supply. And because competition is building up, prices would eventually go down as years pass.

Besides converting solar power into electricity, there are so many other practical application which it can be used. Take for instance solar heat, this is very basic form solar power yet we are not seeing much of its importance. Instead of using the solar heat to heat water we still use heaters which can consume a lot of power. Many folks do not realize this so they end up paying bills which could free from the very start.

Using power is already a part of our existence. We may not even imagine life without it. And because we rely on it, we need to find ways to widen our sources. This can give us better supply and better and brighter future while using it.

Sustainable Energy from the Sun

Alternative energy has been present in the world since life has begun its existence. But why did the people stay away from that path and used fossil fuels instead? The reason is being sustainable. Oil based fuels have increased dramatically in terms of use during the time of its discovery that most folks did not even realize the importance of natural power sources. And production has been increasing ever since and it showed the capacity to be very useful in modern application and that businesses used and supported it.

And because business builds cities, people start to look into oil based fuels as their main sources for energy. It was inevitable during those times as the world is still on the process of building, it merely needs a fast and steady support. That’s when exploration on further refinement and improvement on alternative sources almost have seized. Little did ordinary people know that the alternative energy like solar power has the same and even greater potential than the fossil fuels. The sun, on a single day, radiates enough power for the whole world. This energy is available globally for everyone and it’s free.

Fossil fuels, for one, derived their energy from the sun in the form of decayed organisms. These organisms, like us, derive this energy from the sun thus when they die these energy stored in their body evolves into different forms we now know as fossilized fuels and this process takes millions of years. But why should we wait that long if we can easily tap the source directly? Fossil fuels needs to be explored and be refined in order to be utilized for industrial and public use. In contrast solar energy is just sitting there every day waiting for us to use it for various applications.

Heat applications are the common form of solar power utilization. Most of it can be used for home heating. After all the possible uses for solar energy through the present technology, there’s still enough supply to cover other applications even for bigger industries. All we have to do is to find a way on how we can tap this never ending source. So is solar energy sustainable? Yes it is. But we should also take into account the importance of our participation, we should take part in this change.

Concentrated Solar Power, Its Uses

Solar power can be used for several good ways possible even without the use solar panels. One way for this is to use it for heating purposes. A lot of times we never have thought this can be possible but these methods simply works that even the inexperience can do it without problems.

To effectively make use of solar heat, concentrating it would be needed. And one device to concentrate solar power is by the use of solar furnace. This device is a set of mirrors that directs sunlight into a small area. This will able you to elevate the heat even with little sun available. And how to use is very simple with these techniques.

Water heating. This is quite easy even without using some addition of other devices. You can make use of your water tank set directly in a place where there is enough sunlight during the day. Heat from the sun would make stored water warm in no time without the help of heaters. A more versatile approach would be to use tubes or hose to store water. This set of tubes or hose must be set out in an open sun to gather heat. This is more adjustable as you can control the volume of water needed to be warmed through the length of tubes used.

Needed more than just heat? Or maybe you need to take the water to its boiling point? Then you can make use of a solar furnace. This will concentrate the sun's power in a smaller area, like your pot or tank, wherein you store water. Depending on your area, you can boil water from it without using fire.

Sun lighting. This technique has been used for centuries during the olden times. Mirrors are one essential part that plays here. Having a basement sure comes in handy at times. And because it is situated mostly underground, day light could be of little help and you might need to use electricity. But why not use mirrors to deliver light over these areas? Sunlight is more economical and cost effective when used with appropriate technique. This is good chance to save power from lighting when you are not yet ready to take on solar panels.

Sun drying. This is the most common way to make us of the sun. Topmost of which is using it to dry clothes. This will eliminate the use of dyers. And this is not just limited with drying clothes. You can make use of sun light to dry other stuff like carpets which is really hard for the dyers to cope with.

Disinfect. During the day, the sun rays come with ultraviolet light. This light, though not visible with naked eye, can kill microorganisms. This is another important reason why we should hang our clothes outdoors to dry.

So is solar power utilization expensive? Not at all. These simple steps can be done even without some complex tools. And there simply no limit in using sun as source of power.

Sun's Natural Heating

Heat is energy. Most often we ignore this fact thus we end up using unnecessary way to make use of heat whereas we can use a natural way to do it. Heating is an important part of our daily lives and that we should be looking at it carefully in order to use it effectively.

One way to use sun's heat is to warm our water supply. This is a part of daily routine for some. Having warm bath at night after work can be very relaxing thus you can be sure to get the right sleep you are after. Water heating through the solar energy is very practical and effective. To do this, you simply have to place water tanks strategically where it can be reached by the sun's rays whenever possible. You can do this by installing you water tank over rooftops.

Have you placed the tank in an inappropriate location? Don't worry, you can still get hold of sun's heat through the help of a hose. Simply buy a hose which can be connected into your bath tub. Place this hose under the sun to gather the necessary heat. But you should take note that the hose must have water inside it prior to heating. You should also use some flexible types as to take the stress from repeated heat exposure. The length of the hose should be at least 6 meters with at least half inch diameter to store enough water for the purpose.

Not having enough heat from the sun? You can make use of solar furnace to concentrate the available sunlight. This will focus the available sunlight, even in small amounts, to a small area thus making heating possible even with minimal sun rays present. And having to do this will make it easier for you to get hold of solar heat effectively.

Solar heating is just a simple way to make use of solar power. It is effective that you can even use your existing facility to get hold of it. Even better, solar power has enough supply that everyone on Earth can use simultaneously and still have enough spare.