Use of solar energy

solar energy

The sun is the main source of energy on the surface of the earth, and it can also be said that it is the basis for life on the surface of the earth, and solar energy is one of the most important sources of energy used by humans, ancient and modern, and we will discuss in this article, solar energy in terms of its advantages, disadvantages and uses.

Solar features

The following are the most important advantages of solar energy, which encourage people to prefer it over other energy sources:

• An inexhaustible and renewable energy resource.
• A clean and non-polluting source.
• Solar radiation carries a very large amount of energy.
• Free to use solar energy, no one can make it a monopoly.

Disadvantages of solar energy

Despite the benefits and advantages of solar energy, it has disadvantages and disadvantages, just like other energy sources. We mention them as follows:

• Solar energy generation takes place during daylight hours only.
• The weather condition affects the efficiency and effectiveness of solar energy systems. The presence of clouds and fog, for example, reduces the amount of energy extracted from the sun's rays.
• The constant cleaning that solar panels require in order to ensure their efficient and effective operation.

uses of solar energy

There have been many uses of the sun's energy since ancient times until the present time. Here we mention the most prominent of these uses:

• Water heating, through solar heaters that are placed on the roofs of houses in a diagonal manner that suits the inclination and direction of the sun's rays.
• Drying clothes by evaporating water particles from them.
• Lighting streets and roads at night through the use of solar cells that store solar energy during the day and convert it into light energy at night.
• Helping plants complete the process of photosynthesis.
• Helping bones form vitamin D, which is important for bone growth.
• Human, animal and plant heating.
• Optical lighting during the day, as there is no need to use artificial lighting sources.
• Reducing depression when exposed to sunlight, as proven by scientific studies.
• Establishing solar thermal power stations to generate electricity. Its working mechanism is to focus solar radiation on tubes in which water flows, which leads to the conversion of water into steam that passes into turbines to generate electrical energy.
• Water distillation and desalination of sea water using solar energy, which created solutions for areas that suffer from problems of lack of rain and rivers.
• Finding a solution for remote areas that do not have access to electricity, by relying on solar energy to run their lives.
• Completion of space applications, since solar energy is the source of electrical energy in space.