Solar Power

Solar Power book cover — Introduction 4 Chapter One The Sun 8 Chapter twO Solar Energy Collection and Conversion 15 Chapter three Solar Cells 26 Chapter FOur Pros and Cons 34 Glossary 41 For More Information 43 Index 46 CONTENTS

Solar Power — page 1 — INTRODUCTION All life on Earth depends on energy from the sun Solar energy is the source of energy for photosynthesis It provides the warmth necessary for plants and animals animals to survive The heat from the sun causes water on the Earth’s surface to evaporate and form clouds that eventually provide fresh rainwater fusion Solar energy is the result of thermonuclear thermonuclear reactions deep within the sun These reactions produce produce so much energy that they keep the surface temperature of the sun at about 10,300 degrees Fahrenheit 5,700 degrees Celsius Even though solar energy is the largest source of energy received by the Earth its intensity at the Earth’s surface is actually very low due to the large distance between the Earth and the sun and the fact that the Earth’s atmosphere absorbs and scatters scatters some of the radiation Even on a clear day with the sun directly overhead the energy that 4

Solar Power — page 2 — Solar energy is light heat and other forms of energy given off by the sun Solar energy can be collected and used to heat buildings and to make electricity reaches the Earth’s surface is reduced about 30 percent by the atmosphere When the sun is near the horizon and the sky is overcast the solar energy at ground level can be negligible It also varies from one point to another on the Earth’s surface A number of devices for collecting solar energy and converting it into usable energy 5

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