Solar energy is the most abundant and cleanest energy source that we have on this planet. It’s almost always available and can be found almost any where at any time. Here is a list of the most positive solar energy facts.
The list of Solar Energy Facts
- Solar energy is better for the environment then any other form of energy.
- Food can be cooked safely with solar ovens and water can be sanitized after a few hours just with solar rays.
- The modern day applications for solar energy now encompass everything from airplanes to solar pool covers. It can now all be done and each year new records are set by solar powered vehicles, going farther and faster under the suns rays.
- Solar energy is already in wide usage in many desert countries, where you can see a solar panel on almost every roof.
- Each hour, enough sunlight reaches the Earth to power the entire planet for a year.
- The amount of solar energy that reaches any average point in North America is about 1kW/m^2. Unfortunately we can only collect about 20% at most of that energy, so a large number of panels are needed to collect enough energy for a house.
- In order to power an average home in the United States, around 600 square feet of rooftop is required. The total cost for this job would range, depending on incentives and the types of panels, from $20 000 to $100 000 and at current energy prices would take decades to pay off.
- A solar system in a home requires 6 components, a battery, an inverter, wiring, solar panels, a charge controller and a support structure.
- The first solar energy collector was built by a Swiss scientist, Horace de Saussure in 1767.
- It takes sunlight 8 minutes and 19 seconds to reach the Earth from the Sun.
- Just by opening your blinds, you are heating your house with solar thermal energy.
- Solar thermal energy is becoming a hot topic as it uses the suns heat to create energy. The solar systems look like large parabolic mirrors which reflect all the surrounding sunlight to a single spot which drastically heat it up. There is a 354 MW plant in the Mojave desert currently using this platform.
- Only .54% of the world gets it’s power either from solar photovoltaic’s or through solar thermal energy.
