Solar Energy and Solar Power Plant Fast Facts

Every hour, the earth captures enough solar energy to more than meet the world’s electrical demands for an entire year.

Unfortunately, the harnessing of that energy is woefully lacking. Only a very minute portion of solar energy is captured and converted to power. By and large, the world’s dependence on fossil fuels is escalating rapidly. On the good news front, with the concern of the environment being kept in the forefront, the development and refinement of solar harnessing technology has moved forward quickly. Demand for this technology has allowed larger scale production and that, in turn, has allowed the price to drop to a more affordable level.

At its strongest point, the maximum power density of the solar energy that the earth receives is about 1 kilowatt (kW) per square meter. This means that a one-meter square of solar panel can be used to generate approximately 100 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity in the span of one year. That amount of electricity would be enough to support the electrical needs of 50,000 houses.

A solar power plant built in the Sahara Desert on just 1% of the total area would have the capacity to satisfy the energy requirements of the world.

A solar panel’s efficiency depends on temperature, cloud cover, atmospheric humidity and pollution; among other factors.

While solar power plants operate much like conventional power plants, there is one extremely significant difference: Solar power plants do not use fossil fuels in the production of power.

Greenhouse gases are emitted through the production of conventional electricity and these gases are much of the cause of global warming. Solar thermal power plants, known as Concentrating Solar Power plants, harness the sun's energy to generate clean electricity.

The mechanics of the process are extremely simple. The solar panels capture the sun’s heat the sun. These rays are reflected to a receiver and the receiver converts the concentrated solar energy into steam. The steam is then used to turn turbines that generate electricity.

There are no fossil fuels used in the process therefore global warming is not exacerbated by these solar power plants.

As more and more of the worlds electrical demand is met with solar generated power, the dependency on oil is lessened.

Currently, in the US, the number of households with solar power systems is over 10,000 and growing. As the demand for solar energy grows, so will the demand for other alternative energy sources. This can only bode well for the entire world.

Solar energy meters, tied into a power grid, allow your electric meter to turn backwards. Excess energy, generated by means of a solar energy system, is bought by the power company and sent back onto the grid to be used elsewhere. This means reduced electric bills! It is not unheard of for people to generate enough electricity to get paid for their excess power and , other than the cost of buying and installing the solar energy system, pay no money out for electricity.

With the improvements to solar energy technology, these systems last for many, many years and are very reliable.

Although the purchase and installation costs of a residential solar energy system can be large, the costs are recovered in the long-term. Not only do you save money on electric bills but also you lessen the destruction of environment.

Photovoltaic cells are made to last between 25 and 40 years. It is common for solar panel manufacturers to give a 25-year warranty on their product.

Solar panels require very little maintenance and they can be used in areas that get sunlight during the year.