Solar energy is one of the greatest inventions that has changed lives by bringing power to thousands, and has the potential to help all! The sun emits enormous amounts of solar radiation. Solar panels are built with a very complex structure. Solar power is being used all around the world, mostly by more developed countries, and has the potential to be effective everywhere in Africa. Solar energy can be used for everyones electricity needs by making their home efficient and power bill smaller. Solar energy can eliminate the use of a hot water heater. Solar provides ways to get the air conditioning and heating off of the power bill, therefore, saving money. Solar energy is pro earth as well due to the fact that it does not produce …show more content…
Germany leads in using solar power with thirty-one percent of their citizens having solar panels installed helping them with their electrical needs. What is incredible is that Germany does not get a large amount of solar radiation. Germany does have a solar cell that systematically works more efficient than others. Europe as a whole is beginning to catch up with Germany using solar power. France does lead in using thermal energy which is another form of photovoltaic cells. The United States is in fourth place using solar panels. The leading state is California. The California Solar Initiative develops more efficient solar panels for the state of California. The state of California alone has two gigawatts worth of solar power. Two gigawatts of power is enough for a plant to give out to power homes. New Jersey, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado are not too far behind with their solar power. In the United States, more financial groups are coming up for homeowners to have solar power without the upfront cost. In 2013, the United States had eighty-five hundred megawatt capacity. That is enough to power one and a half million homes (Maehlum). Africa has two thousand four hundred kilowatts per hour every square meter of solar energy. That is enough to power forty thousand sixty watt light bulbs …show more content…
Running a typical hot water heaters will cost over four hundred dollars a year. Solar hot water heaters consist of a solar module on a rooftop with the most sunlight (Springer). In that module are tubes that collect the solar energy of the sun to heat up the cold water. The now hot water travels to an insulated holding tank that can hold in heat and keep out the cold. Another solar hot water heater can have a booster that runs off of electricity that warms the water before traveling to the roof to become hot and increase the yield of hot water. After being installed a homeowner should expect a big decrease in the power bill (energy.gov). Not only does solar energy get rid of a hot water heater it can also take the air conditioning and heating off of the power bill. Solar air conditioning and heating are a hybrid system. This uses solar power to charge back up batteries and power the air conditioning for the use of the day in the sunlight. During the night, the batteries come on and power the air conditioning unit. To charge the batteries the panels provide an alternating current. With all that being said, since it is a new technology, it comes with a high price tag, but pays for itself in approximately four to five years