Transformative Essay: The Value Of Solar Energy

“I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy,” stated Thomas Edison. Many people, including Thomas Edison, understood the value of solar energy. The use of solar energy has dated back to 700 B. C. Expenses for solar energy products are exceedingly high. Maintenance of solar powered utilities is virtually nonexistent. Solar products tend to be efficient in their work to make a clean planet. The function of a solar panel is to transform light into electricity. Solar panels can be used to power several different pieces of equipment. Solar energy can help reduce pollutants and create a healthy environment for everyone to live in.

The history of solar energy dates back two thousand seven hundred years. During that time period, people used glass lenses in order to ignite a fire. Greeks were the first people to use passive solar designs. They created buildings with southern-facing windows that allowed the sun to heat and light their homes. In the nineteenth century, a French physicist named Edmund Bequerel discovered that light energy could create a “photovoltaic effect. ” A “photovoltaic effect” occurs when a device uses light from the sun to create an electric current.

Solar cells were invented in the United States by Gerald Pearson in 1954. The solar cells he created were used to convert solar radiation into electricity. Solar energy has been used by people for over two thousand years as a reliable source of energy. There are many expenses when purchasing and installing a solar device. There are also profits that can be made after a solar device is installed. In a Pennsylvanian climate, it generally takes seventeen years to gain about six thousand dollars from six solar panels. Citizens have to make large payments when purchasing a solar panel.

If a person purchased three solar panels, he or she would have to pay for the three solar panels, labor for the installation of the panels, and permits so he or she had permission for the installment of the panels. The cost of a single solar panel can sometimes exceed the price of two thousand dollars. The end balance of installing three solar panels can typically reach up to twenty thousand dollars. After all the payments of installing a solar utility, the consumer will receive a check from the power plant for sending their excess electricity to the power company.

Solar utilities can be an expensive purchase for anyone who decides to “go green” with solar energy. Solar products, such as solar panels, have a lifespan of over three decades. Maintenance of a solar utility is extremely low. Many people do not know how much maintenance is needed to provide a solar product with all of its necessities. Cleaning a solar device is fairly easy. Labor for a solar system is nearly nonexistent. Sustaining solar utilities is simple and effortless. Solar products are an efficient source of energy. Solar energy is one of the few clean sources of energy that is available for consumer use.

Solar energy is also one of few renewable sources of energy. It is renewable because its energy comes from the sun. There is absolutely no noise involved when a solar product is collecting energy. There is little heat given off by a solar utility. Solar energy is an efficient source of energy that can keep the world exceptionally clean. Solar panels are remarkably sophisticated devices. There are electrons in the panel that are part of the silicon material. The electrons are restrained so they cannot participate in the flow with the released electrons.

In order for a solar panel to function, light must be emitted to release the electrons from their bound state. After the electrons are freed by the sunlight, they travel along wires of the external circuit. During the process in which the electrons travel along external circuit, they create a blue color that allows more light into to solar cells. Finally, the electrons fall into holes near the silicon that was created when other electrons were freed. The procedure in which electrons allow more light into the solar cells is an immensely complex process. Solar panels are used to power a variety of different instruments.

Solar panels can be placed on space ships to allow them to generate electricity. Spacecraft mainly use solar panels to generate electricity for heating, cooling, and electric propulsion. Other solar panels can be used to power cars. Some solar-powered cars participate in races such as the World Solar Challenge and the American Solar Challenge. Panels are curre y being used on some airplanes. The planes absorb the sun’s light which transfers into electricity so it can power the motor of the plane. Solar Panels are an impressive piece of work that can power a multitude of vehicles.

Solar energy has the potential to become a more common source of energy. Twentyseven centuries ago, solar energy was discovered. Solar utilities are an expensive, but profitable source of energy. There is very little maintenance needed when operating a solar device. Many solar utilities are efficient and contribute to keeping the environment clean. Solar panels are intricate devices that function to create electricity. Solar panels can be used on many different vehicles as a power source. Solar energy has played a major role in making the world the way it is today.