Solar Energy Basics
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| Language: | English |
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| Main topic: | Solar energy |
Solar energy Basics: Solar energy is the energy, heat, or electricity, that is produced directly by using the energy that is radiated from Earth's sun (Sol) onto Earth.
When our sun shines onto land, it can exert up to 1367 watts per square meter. Taking into account the fact that Earth is a sphere (and therefore the rays often angled), and also rotates, the solar radiation upon Earth's surface on average, over 24 hours and four seasons, at Europe's latitudes, is around 200 watts per square meter.
The amount of solar energy arriving upon Earth's surface is so huge, around a thousand times greater than all of the energy that is used by humans as a whole, but scattered, in the sense that it is necessary to collect energy from vast areas in order to have significant quantities. Also, it is rather difficult to convert that energy into an easily exploitable form (mainly electricity) with acceptable efficiencies.
To exploit it, products are needed which are generally high in cost, which make solar energy much more expensive than other methods of generating energy.
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(As of: 09 April 2013)