Primarily, solar energy is derived from sun rays and converted into electrical energy or thermal energy. This is achieved through harnessing of the sun’s radiant heat and light using various technologies. Some of the technologies that are used include photovoltaic cells technologies ( Scheer, 2002) .
The first procedure of harnessing solar energy is by using photovoltaic cells. When rays from the sun come into contact with these cells, they are immediately absorbed. The light which is absorbed by the cells is converted into direct current that is directed by an inverter whereby this electricity is turned into alternating current electricity which is now ready to be used (Bradford, 2006) .
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Subsequently, for the electricity to be produced, photons from the sun rays hit the silicon film in the photovoltaic which has both positive as well as negative charges (Bradford, 2006). This in turn makes the negative charged electrons to be drawn to a particular side of the silicon cell. AS such this results into an electric voyage which is collected and channeled to various sources.
On average, the amount of energy that can be harnessed when using the solar energy is 200 electricity watts in a typical solar panel ( Scheer, 2002). As such the total power that is harnessed depends on the size as well as the number of solar panels that are installed by individuals.
Consequently, the benefits of using the solar energy is that it is sustainable as well as renewable since it is derived from the sun which is a reliable source as it is inexhaustible. Moreover, it requires little resources to harness solar energy and it is easy to maintain. However, it has some drawbacks as during the night harnessing solar energy is difficult. During cloudy and rainy seasons, harnessing the solar energy is difficult as there is little sunlight which is the primary source of this energy ( Scheer, 2002).
References
Bradford, T,. (2006). Solar Revolution: The Economic Transformation of the Global Energy Industry MIT Press.
Scheer, H. (2002). The Solar Economy (Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Global Future: Earth scan Publications Ltd.
