Solar Power

Neil HulinGeography 101

VVC Fall 2011 Mon Wed 7:05

What is Solar PowerRadiant (electromagnetic radiation)

energy from the sun that is converted into electricity.

The Suns radiation that we receive is mostly in the form of Ultra Violet, Infrared, and Visible light

The Geography Of Solar Power

InsolationAtmosphereInclination of

Earths AxisPlane of the

Ecliptic EquinoxSolsticeLatitudeAltitude

ClimateGPS/GISRemote sensingWindGlobal Warming

What Is Considered Solar Power?

Every form of power we know (besides Geothermal and Nuclear) is derived from Solar Power

Wind, Hydro, Oil, Coal and Biomass all come from processes originating from the Sun

Technically so do Nuclear and Geothermal power according to the Nebular Hypothesis

Types Of Solar Power

PhotovoltaicConverts sunlight

directly to electricity

Common in residential and commercial

Concentrated Solar PowerConverts sunlight

to thermal energyMost common in

commercial power plants

Photovoltaic

How Do Photovoltaic Cells Work?

Solar radiation knocks loose a negative electron from the negative layer of silicon

The electron travels through the wire to the light

Into the positive side of the cell

Through the one way barrier, back to the negative layer

How Does Concentrated Solar Power Work?

Focuses sunlight on a receiver

Receiver gets super heated

Water is introduced to make steam

Steam turns a turbine

Turbine turns a generator

Generator creates electricity

Concentrated Solar Power

Facts About Solar PowerIt takes about 8 minutes for sunlight to reach usThere is enough energy in one minute of sunlight

to provide a years worth of electricity to the worldEdmond Becquerel discovered PV effect in 1839Worldwide only 0.1% of power is from solarGermany leads the world in solar power usageChina has the largest photovoltaic power plantSpain has the largest CSP plant

Why Solar Power?It’s a clean renewable resourceThe only pollution comes from

manufacturing and transporting components

Low maintenanceIndependence from the gridPays for itself in the long run

Bibliography• Hess, D. (2011). McKnight’s Physical Geography: A landscape Appreciation 2nd

California Edition. Upper Saddle River : Prentice Hall.• Malone, T. (2011). Photovoltaic. Renewable energy . Victorville.• Quaschning, V. (2003, June). Retrieved from

http://www.volker-quaschning.de/articles/fundamentals2/index.php• Smith, Z. A., & Taylor, K. D. (2008). Renewable and Alternative Energy

Resources : A Reference Handbook. ABC-CLIO.• Unknown. (2009, December 16). How Solar Energy Works . Retrieved from

Union of Concerned Scientists: http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/technology_and_impacts/energy_technologies/how-solar-energy-works.html

• Unknown. (2010, May 26). Sol Focus> News events> press releases> 2010 05 26. Retrieved from sol Focus: http://www.solfocus.com/en/news-events/press-releases/2010-05-26.php

• Unknown. (n.d.). Solar Energy Information. Retrieved from National Geographic: http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/solar-power-profile/