Solar energy means the energy, heat or electricity, produced directly using the energy radiated from the Sun (renewable) toward the Earth.

At any time the Sun transmits on the terrestrial orbit 1367 watts per sq meters. Taking into account the fact that the Earth is a rotating sphere, the average solar radiation at the American latitudes is of about 200 watts / m. Multiplying the average power per square meter for the land surface of the northern hemisphere moment to moment exposed to the sun you get a power greater than 50 million GW.


The amount of solar energy that reaches the Earth’s soil is so huge, approximately ten thousand times greater than all the energy used by humanity as a whole, but not very concentrated in the sense that it is necessary to collect energy from vast areas to have significant quantities. To produce energy a system requires generally high cost products, considerably expensive than other methods of generating energy.

The development of technologies that could make economic use of solar energy is an area of active research but, for now, had no revolutionary results. Solar energy can be used to generate electricity (photovoltaic) or to generate heat (solar thermal).

There are three main technologies to transform energy exploitable in the sun’s energy:

  • Solar Water Heater: A solar panel that uses sunlight to heat a liquid with special features, contained in its internal transfers heat through a heat exchanger.
  • The concentration solar panel uses a series of parabolic mirrors in a linear structure to focus sunlight on a receiver tube that runs a heat transfer fluid or a series of mirrors which concentrate plans rays at a tower where there is a boiler.
  • Photovoltaic Panel: A solar panel that uses the special properties of semiconductor components to produce electricity when requested by the light.

Currently, solar panels are used to provide hot water (solar thermal) and heating to homes and small complexes. The photovoltaic panels are used mainly to feed devices away from electricity grids (space probes, phone repeaters in the high mountains or Traffic signals, parking meters, etc.).

Obviously, these devices must be equipped with batteries that can accumulate the electricity produced in excess during the day to fuel equipment at night and during cloudy periods.

With current technology, photovoltaic panels are also sensitive to infrared radiation (invisible) of sunlight and thus produce current in the event of time clouds and rain. The amount of energy released, however, is variable and difficult to predict, this gap makes it difficult to meet at all times application of current, less than a production with a wide safety margin above the peak annual demand.

So, solar and wind power are intermittent plants that provide energy in constant movement, but is the peak of production for solar energy in summer it can offset the increased domestic demand due to air conditioners.

In Germany, as example, the citizen pays the bill in the difference between what they consume and what they produce. If the balance is positive then they get a credit. Similar legislation was recently introduced in U.S.A with a tax credit to help increase the use of solar powered systems in home energy production.

Valery Forty is the editor of the blog www.12VoltSolarPanels.net, a free online resource to help people get detailed info on solar power and read reviews on the latest products.

12 Volt Solar Panels
Reviews on Tips to Solar Power Your Life

By enrico forte
Published: 10/24/2008

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