Introduction to
Solar Energy
An overview of
the
technologies
and
applications
1
Solar Wonders, ©2007 Florida Solar Energy Center
On July 4, 1997, the Pathfinder spacecraft bounced
to a stop on Mars. The next day, the rover
Sojourner rolled out of one of the lander petals
onto the surface of the planet to begin its mission
of exploration.
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Solar Wonders, ©2007 Florida Solar Energy Center
Sojourner was able to move around the planet and
examine rocks like this one named “Yogi” – located
20 feet from the Pathfinder lander – thanks to
the power generated by the solar panel on its
back.
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Solar Wonders, ©2007 Florida Solar Energy Center
Dramatic as this was, it was just one use
of solar energy.
To many students, exciting projects like
this are what solar energy is all about.
But there really is much more to solar
energy technologies, how they are being
used, and how they impact our lives today.
This presentation will introduce you to the
entire field of solar energy.
4
Solar Wonders, ©2007 Florida Solar Energy Center
Let’s begin our overview of
solar energy by asking:
What do you see here?
Take a close look –
is this the profile of a
beautiful young lady,
or the face of an ugly,
old woman?
They’re both here, but for
a variety of reasons that
make up your own
individual psychological
make-up, some of you see
one woman, some the
other.
Solar Wonders, ©2007 Florida Solar Energy Center
5
When people think of solar
energy, the same thing often
happens. Some see it as
something for the future,
others see it as something
that is here today.
6
Solar Wonders, ©2007 Florida Solar Energy Center
If you think solar energy is something
to be used in the future . . .
you may be picturing
something like this
solar array used by
the space shuttle to
provide for power
needs in outer space.
There are people who
think that solar
energy is something
not quite down-toearth and not ready
to use today.
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Solar Wonders, ©2007 Florida Solar Energy Center
However, there are other people who think of
solar energy as something that’s been around for a
long time.
Solar collector for
heating water
A home in California in 1906
Solar Wonders, ©2007 Florida Solar Energy Center
8
For hundreds of years, people have wanted to harness
the sun’s power for weapons, heating, and many other
uses to make their lives more comfortable.
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Solar Wonders, ©2007 Florida Solar Energy Center
Actually, the first solar water heating
collector appears to have been built
in the 18th Century by a Swiss
scientist who constructed a simple
wooden box with a glass top and a
black base. It trapped solar energy,
and the collector reached a
temperature of 190 degrees
Fahrenheit.
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Solar Wonders, ©2007 Florida Solar Energy Center
So which view of solar energy
-- for the future or for today –
is correct?
Probably a little of both.
Solar energy will certainly play an important
role in the future energy needs of our
planet, but it’s also here today and ready
for hundreds of uses in homes, businesses,
and industry.
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Solar Wonders, ©2007 Florida Solar Energy Center
The sun is an inexhaustible power
supply. It brings enough energy to our
planet every single day to meet a full
year’s worth of energy for everyone on
Earth.
And during the past century – back to 1891,
in fact, when the first solar collector was
manufactured in the United States, U.S.
industry has developed a variety of
products that have proven both reliable
and cost-effective in meeting all kinds of
energy needs.
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Solar Wonders, ©2007 Florida Solar Energy Center
The batteries in this solar-powered light in a
remote part of Key West, Florida, are charged by
the sun during the day to provide power for street
lighting at night.
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Solar Wonders, ©2007 Florida Solar Energy Center
But to many
people, solar power
today means just
reliable
calculators,
watches and other
simple home
products like this
lantern that use
solar power
instead of
electricity to
charge the
batteries.
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Solar Wonders, ©2007 Florida Solar Energy Center
They don’t realize that millions of
people around the world use
solar energy because it is the
only available, reliable power
source for many of their basic
needs such as lighting and water
pumping.
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Solar Wonders, ©2007 Florida Solar Energy Center
Meanwhile, do-it-yourselfers
have long tried to build their
own solar systems to take
advantage of the free power
provided by the sun . . .
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Solar Wonders, ©2007 Florida Solar Energy Center
The owner of a small laundry in northern Florida
tried to build his own concentrating system for
water heating. (We don’t know if the sign in the
background was put up before or after this
homemade system was built.)
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Solar Wonders, ©2007 Florida Solar Energy Center
But we do know that growing public concern
about environmental problems . . .
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Solar Wonders, ©2007 Florida Solar Energy Center
including global warming, acid rain and toxic air
emissions, has in recent years turned a great deal
of attention to environmentally friendly solar
energy systems.
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Solar Wonders, ©2007 Florida Solar Energy Center
The nonrenewable sources we use
today – including coal, oil, kerosene,
diesel, propane and natural gas – are
all limited in availability, and are also
partly to blame
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Solar Wonders,
©2007
Florida Solar
EnergyofCenter
© 2007 Florida Solar Energy Center
(FSEC),
a research
institute
the University of Central Florida.
Meanwhile, there is one energy source that is free
and inexhaustible. It’s like a giant nuclear reactor –
only this one is located 93 million miles away.
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Solar Wonders,
©2007
Florida Solar
EnergyofCenter
© 2007 Florida Solar Energy Center
(FSEC),
a research
institute
the University of Central Florida.
It’s not uncommon
around the world to
see solar systems
used along with the
traditional ways of
life to become an
integral part of
people’s lives.
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Solar Wonders,
©2007
Florida Solar
EnergyofCenter
© 2007 Florida Solar Energy Center
(FSEC),
a research
institute
the University of Central Florida.
The house of the future?
This zero-energy
house in the
Netherlands has
30m2 of PV panels
for power
generation and
12m2 of solar
collectors for
water and space
heating.
23
Solar Wonders,
©2007
Florida Solar
EnergyofCenter
© 2007 Florida Solar Energy Center
(FSEC),
a research
institute
the University of Central Florida.
No matter what the future will be like, one thing is
for certain: some type of energy will be needed to
power it.
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Solar Wonders,
©2007
Florida Solar
EnergyofCenter
© 2007 Florida Solar Energy Center
(FSEC),
a research
institute
the University of Central Florida.
What will that energy source be?
The answer ought to be obvious.
It’s been up there all the time.
Solar Wonders,
©2007
Florida Solar
EnergyofCenter
© 2007 Florida Solar Energy Center
(FSEC),
a research
institute
the University of Central Florida.
25
Discussion Questions
• Why do you think solar energy is not used
more today?
• Do you think governments should adopt
measures to use more solar energy in the
future, or rely on fossil fuels as long as
they are available?
• What are some of the economic, social,
and environmental issues involved in the
use of solar energy?
26
Solar Wonders,
©2007
Florida Solar
EnergyofCenter
© 2007 Florida Solar Energy Center
(FSEC),
a research
institute
the University of Central Florida.