Solar energy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Solar energy - Research Paper Example Solar energy is the power that is produced directly by the sun and collected somewhere else, mostly on the Earth. The sun is the nearest and biggest star and the source of energy for the planet of Earth. The sun's energy has been in use for a lengthy time, and it is a critical part of life. The solar energy is a fundamental need for humans. The image of the sun has many theories, histories and myths associated with it. For centuries, it has been the God, or the holy part of different religions, for example, the American native tribes and Greeks worshipped it. It is also an essential part of many religions as they hold it dear to their worship, for example, Hinduism, Buddhism and druids of England hold the sun as the precedence of their existence. It is a fact that without the solar energy, human life would be inexistent. Sunlight is crucial as the living organisms circle around it for survival. According to Mahaney (10), plants depend on sunlight for photosynthesis to take place, thu s, helping in their growth while, on the other hand, providing food for animals. The sun and other stars are, in essence, responsible for providing human beings with energy. In the current climate, mounting power requirements and escalating environmental worry, unconventional to the exploit of non-renewable and polluting relic fuels, have to be scrutinized. An instance of energy that requires to be investigated is the solar energy (Tiwari 199). The sun produces its energy by a thermonuclear process that converts several tons of hydrogen to helium each second. The procedure produces heat and electromagnetic radiation as the sun retains the heat, which is instrumental in maintaining the thermonuclear reaction. The electromagnetic radiation is distributed and streamed out into space in all directions. These rays entail noticeable and infra-red, as well as ultraviolet, light. From the radiations produced, only a little fraction manages to penetrate, and reach the planet Earth (Mahaney 4 ). The radiations reach the Earth in a form of indirect source of nearly every type of power used today. The only form of energy that does not rely upon solar energy is the geothermal energy and nuclear fission and synthesis. Even fossil fuels are reliant on the sun for their energy, as they were once live creatures and plants that utilized solar energy for their survival. Table of world energy usage as per the year 2000 Energy source Solar energy Electricity Fuel oil Liquefied petroleum other percentage 51.2 30.3 9.3 6.5 1.9 The table above shows world consumption rates of different sources of energy. Solar energy is the most utilized one followed by electricity, according to the table. The world’s most needed solar energy can easily be harnessed and completed by solar power. Much of it can also be supplied indirectly. Because of its nature, solar energy requires two components for it to perform; these are the collector and the storage unit. The radiations are gathered by th e collector as they fall on it and convert a fraction of the radiations to other varieties of energy, such as electricity and heat. The storage unit holds the excess energy produced at maximum productivity and discharges it when the productivity falls. The storage unit is necessary because of the inconsistencies of solar energy (Tiwari 192). Solar energy is one of the most plentiful sources of energy, which is easily available to