The energy of the Sun

The sun is just one of billions of stars, but it is a source of energy for all living creatures and the Earth itself. Fossil fuel is consumed at a rate that its reserves will be depleted sometime in the second half of next century. Nuclear power, once considered a good alternative, proved to be dangerous, as demonstrated by the accident at Chernobyl (USSR) in 1986 from all alternative sources of energy from the sun is very clean and safe.


 Solar radiation

 About 30% of the solar radiation is reflected Earth's atmosphere, and another 20% is absorbed. As a result, only 50% of it reaches the surface of our planet, but it is equivalent to the total energy produced by about 170 millions of the most powerful power in the world.

Many fires occur in the heat caused by sunlight focused drops of morning dew. As early as 400 BC. Oe. the Greeks learned to use solar energy to fuel the fire with a glass ball filled with water. By 200 BC. Oe. a similar way, using concave mirrors to focus the sun's rays began to be used in China.
 In today's consumer-focused solar rays heat the oven for food. Instead of a concave mirror in some ovens use a number of flat reflectors, installed at an angle and to the location of food.


 Solar heating

All the houses are partially heated by the Sun, but there are projects that most of this gratuitous source of energy and thus significantly reduce the cost of heating. In such houses are set with large windows on the side, illuminated by the midday sun, and a much smaller window on the other, cooler side. In some houses blinds insulating materials are closed for the night, that allows you to save a large portion of the heat accumulated during the day. This is - passive solar technology.
Solar energy can also be used for water heating. The rays of the sun heat the water inside the flat panel collector, absorbing (in contrast to the radiator) radiation to heat water. These panels are usually installed on the roof at an angle to catch the maximum amount of direct sunlight. Cold water flows through the panel and is heated by absorption of sunlight.

Solar cells 

Solar cells - are electronic devices, where due to the photoelectric effect, light is converted into electricity. Each element produces little energy, so in order to ensure supply of sufficient and necessary battery of interconnected elements. The element consists of a thin layer of semiconductor material, usually silicon. Some solar cells use a different semiconductor - gallium arsenide. They are less efficient than silicon, but can operate at much higher temperatures, so that they can be used on satellites exposed to the powerful influence of the sun's rays in space. On the energy of solar cells work most of the satellites, it is also used in some electronic calculators and watches.
In 1981 a light aircraft "Solar chellendzher" crossed the English Channel, using sunlight as the only source of energy. Aircraft wings were covered with solar cells that produce electric energy for the control of the propeller. In Florida, USA, worked as a telephone booth from the battery of solar cells installed on the roof of the booth.

                                 Electricity in the areas of   

In some remote areas of the large battery of solar cells provide most of the household electricity, which is used for charging batteries, running at night.Solar cells are very reliable. Once installed, they almost do not need to care for and can operate for years without maintenance. In the UK there are beacons operating in the automatic mode of the solar cells. Batteries of such elements are also used in a number of automatic weather stations located along the coast and at sea.Electricity from solar cells does not depend on the heat and the light. Thanks to a boarding capacity of 360 kW beacon can run on solar energy in terms of permafrost in Alaska. Beginning in the 1960s, photovoltaic batteries are used to generate power for communication satellites. The latest battery of this type will be installed aboard the U.S. space station "Freedom", planned for launch into orbit at the beginning of the century. In the above the clouds high above the station with eight wing-type panels will convert sunlight to electricity of 75 kW.
 The project is the use of solar energy, proposed by the American engineer Peter Glaser, can provide us with energy from space. According to the author, should be run 40 orbiting solar power plants (ESR), equipped with huge arrays of solar cells. The energy is converted into microwave beams that are sent to receiving stations on Earth. 3-There microwaves would be converted back into electricity.

Unfortunately, birds and non-metallic aircraft just burn in contact with their powerful beams of microwave energy being sent to ESR.