Solar Energy

Renewable energies are inexhaustible because they take advantage of nature’s elements.
In the next four posts I will talk about four kinds of this energy resource.


www.maisenergias.com

The Solar Energy is radiation that derives from the sun, which may be captured and transformed into an energy directly used by human being, in order to warm the house water (process made by solar collectors) or for electric energy production (process made by photovoltaics).

Solar collectors – How do they work?
These panels absorb the radiation emitted by the sun, warming their interior, mainly, the collector plate, which is made with materials that are good absorbers, and also good emitters (this is, metals like aluminum or copper). So, the solar radiation absorbed is transformed into a less energetic radiation, this is, infrared radiation. There’s a glass cover on the panel’s surface, which allows the solar radiation to enter to the panel interior, but it doesn’t allow the infrared radiation getting out of the system, creating a greenhouse effect. And so, the cold water is warmed by the heated collector plate, and then, it’s ready for those hot baths!

www.dispaq.com

How does a photovoltaic work?
These panels are composed by solar cells, which capture sunlight, and then they create a potential difference. So, the solar cells use the photovoltaic effect to absorb solar energy, and then making the electric current flow between two layers with opposite charges.


www.labeee.ufsc.br

Source:

www.maisenergias.com
www.wikipedia.com
ONTEM E HOJE - Física e Química A 10º ano