Solar energy collector
Posted by Solar energy guru | Filed under Solar panels & photovoltaic cells
Solar Energy is a renewable clean energy. All you need to produce electricity or heat is the inexhaustible supply of sunlight. A solar energy collector, also known as a solar panel, collects the solar energy from the sun and heat.
A single solar energy collector can extract energy from the sun into a usable and storable form. The sun’s energy can average about 1000 watts per square meter when there are no clouds in the sky or fog to block the rays.
Solar energy from the sun can be collected in various ways. However, there are two basic types of solar collectors.
The Flat Plate or Heat Pipe collector is the simplest form of solar energy collection. It is a system that is typically made from pipes and insulation that can absorb the sun’s rays and generate heat by means of water that is circulating in the pipes. This type of solar energy collector is ideal for home owners who want to heat swimming pools and other types of hot water heaters so they can meet the hot water needs in their homes. The flat plate solar energy collector is a long flat rectangle that is typically attached to the roof or building in an area that receives a lot of sunlight. The dark metal on the plates of the flat plate solar energy collector will absorb the heat from the sun’s rays and preserve it in a storage area. Every flat plate solar energy collector has coils of tubing looped throughout it. Air, water or an anti-freeze type solution will be in the coils to circulate the heat it is collecting from the sun. The heat is transferred into these coils filled with air or fluid while circulating through the tubing and then transferred into a holding tank that is insulated. The energy is kept there for later use to heat swimming pool water, hot water heaters etc.
Another type of a solar energy collector is called a Focusing Collector. This is a type that is made from Heliostats or moveable mirrors. These heliostats will move as they can track the sun. As the mirrors move to tack the sun, extreme amounts of energy can be collected. This type of solar energy collector is more efficient because it can provide temperatures reaching up to 4000 degrees C while the flat plate panel can not come anywhere near that degree of heat. Typically a Focusing solar energy collector is ideal for using with a solar furnace in industrial settings or for other large commercial uses. They utilize the renewable green energy source from the sun’s rays in an efficient and cost effective way. They are also be used to generate electricity via these heliostats for use with boilers to heat water to temperatures that can produce steam.
When sunlight hits any of these solar energy collectors, it is then converted into electricity. As sunlight hits the absorber surface of a solar energy collector, it can capture 19 to 56 watts per square meter (for 15% efficiency) or an equivalent of 0.45 to 1.35 kilowatt per hour (kWh) in an annual day and night average.
While solar energy is free, it is very costly to buy the solar collectors. They should be mounted on a roof to face the full sun. They normally should be angled to the latitude of the location so as to get the most benefit from the sun’s rays. A solar energy collector works best in areas where there is plentiful sunlight throughout the entire year as cloudy weather can block out the sun’s rays.
October 20th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
At any rate, so long as the sun dies out (which is in the next billion years), we may be able to have all the energy we need. So long as we are determined to protect mother nature and be as technologically advanced as possible, we’ll be okay. Kudos Planet Earth!