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Uses of solar energy

The sun has been emitting solar radiation for 5 billion years and it is estimated that it has not yet reached 50% of its existence.

Antes de ver cualess son los usos haremos una descripcion de que es la energia solar

Uses of solar energy

The uses of solar energy that we can take advantage of are many and growing and it is important to begin to incorporate them because it is an inexhaustible resource: the amount of energy that the king star emanates on Earth every day is ten thousand times greater than what the entire planet consumes in 24 hours. Knowing the possibilities can help you get on board with the trend.

What is solar energy

To know the different uses of solar energy in Argentina and in the world, it is first key to understand what it is and what its advantages and disadvantages are. Let’s go by parts.

The term refers to the use of energy that comes from the Sun. It is a type of clean, renewable and inexhaustible energy that, thanks to various devices, we can capture and transform into thermal energy and electrical energy for later use in lights. , heaters, swimming pools, etc.

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Uses of solar energy

The uses and applications are becoming broader and more diverse. The most important are:

Solar lighting

It is one of the most common uses of solar energy and also one of the easiest ways to improve energy efficiency in homes, buildings, clubs and more. Unlike traditional options, solar lighting doesn’t require any setup. The lights are wireless and harness the power of the sun during the day to avoid the need to be powered by electricity at night. They are a good choice for gardens, patios and public spaces.

Solar heating

Solar heaters take advantage of the sun’s energy and transform it into thermal energy through the use of liquid or air.

Solar heating systems can be passive or active. In the first case, they are systems that use natural circulation, while, in active systems, pumps are used to circulate the water and generate heat.

Solar panels for houses

More and more homes are turning to solar panels to save energy and, at the same time, contribute to caring for the environment. for those who don’t know what is a solar panelwe can summarize that It is a device that harnesses the sun’s energy to generate heat or electricity.. According to these two purposes, we can distinguish between solar collectors, which produce hot water (generally for domestic use) using solar thermal energy, and photovoltaic panels, which generate electricity from the solar radiation that falls on the photovoltaic cells of the panel.

doHow do solar panels work? Basically, the panel is a catcher element. It is a device that captures solar radiation and transforms it into useful energy.

Solar water heater: solar hot water tanks

It is one of its most widespread applications. Solar hot water tanks or solar collectors use water as a method for heat transfer. There are different sizes and they allow water to be heated safely and efficiently, without resorting to the use of gas or electricity. They are used for showering, washing dishes, in underfloor heating systems or radiators, and for industrial processes. They get temperatures of 50°C in winter and 80°C in summer.

solar panels

photovoltaic solar panels

Photovoltaic solar panels are the best known and are used to generate electricity through the photovoltaic effect, a first cousin of the photoelectric effect for which Albert Einstein won the Nobel Prize. They are used both in large-scale solar parks and in home installations.

In addition to helping save energy, provide electricity stability by avoiding voltage spikes that can damage appliances.

Solar energy: advantages and disadvantages

The main advantages of using solar energy are:

  • It does not pollute: It is a much cleaner energy than others, such as that derived from fossil fuels. This implies that it has a low environmental impact, since it does not release harmful substances into the atmosphere.
  • It is an inexhaustible source of energy: It is a renewable energy that comes from an inexhaustible source. We don’t have to worry about it ending.

uses of solar energy

  • Low cost: At first, it can be a bit expensive to buy and install the panels, but over time, the expense pays off because the electricity bill goes down.
  • Accessible to rural areas: Although its transfer and installation is difficult, it is ideal for bringing electrical and thermal energy to rural, mountainous and island areas where power lines do not reach.
  • Reuse of panels: In addition to not producing waste, solar panels can be recycled by 95%. This implies that it has low environmental impact consequences.
  • Other advantages: they are easy to maintain, they do not take up space inside homes because they can be installed on roofs and, at a more macro level, it is a sector that promotes job growth, due to the manufacture of cells, panels, etc.

The main disadvantages are:

  • Esthetic: the panels on the roofs of the houses or in the fields and gardens may not be very aesthetic but, if we put it into value, it is a minor detail compared to its great advantages.
  • Installation cost: The expenses are important when adding this system to the home, but, over time, it is compensated by reducing the electric bill.
  • Low performance: is a major drawback. The existing panels today yield approximately 33%, when a turbine with a wind energy system reaches a yield of 50%.
  • Discontinuity in service: both during the night and on cloudy days we do not have the sun to charge the panels and the existing battery system up to now does not maintain a large reserve capacity.

Solar energy in Argentina

The technology linked to solar energy is already positioned as the next generation of energy in several markets, including Argentina. According to the latest National Solar Thermal Census carried out by INTI, solar thermal energy grew in the country by almost 18% in 2017.

The big question is whether, at a domestic level, the use of solar panels is profitable. To determine if it is a business, it is important to take into account two initial variables. First, if it is about panels to generate electricity (solar photovoltaic panels); or, if we are talking about panels to heat water, that is, solar collectors or solar thermal panels. Second, consider what type of energy is being replaced.

Transport

Solar-powered transport is one of the innovations with the most future. The means of transport powered by photovoltaics include buses, railways and cars. In addition, there are even routes and highways.

wearable technology

It is another segment that is growing. Solar chargers today have the ability to charge all kinds of devices (phones, tablets, radios, speakers, etc). There are even solar-powered flashlights that can be charged simply by being exposed to sunlight.

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