Solar Energy - Putting Your Roof To Good Use
Solar energy comes from the sun – that vast star that is predominantly a mixture of hydrogen and helium. Through the process of nuclear fusion, the hydrogen is continuously transformed into helium at enormously high temperatures and pressure. The resulting release of energy passes through the sun and is changed into mainly light energy. This light energy then passes through the atmosphere and reaches our planet earth.
Source: NASA/SDO "Every hour, enough sunlight energy reaches the Earth to meet the world’s energy demand for a whole year."Source:U.S. Department of Energy
Studies show that the sunlight reaching the earth produces 1 Kilowatt-hr of energy per square meter of the earth's surface. You can use that data to do all kinds of calculations. For our purposes though it means that there is an abundant supply of solar energy available, far more than we use throughout the world. Solar energy is a vastly under-utilized resource that more people, including you, can take advantage of and reduce their power bills. The challenge is to convert that energy into other forms suitable for powering our requirements and in a cost-effective way. In the following pages we will deal with the listed solar topics and associated devices:
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