6 Facts About Solar Energy You Didn’t Know
Everybody knows that solar power is better for the environment than many other traditional forms of energy. This is due to the fact that it does not create green house gases like fossils fuels do when they are burned. However, there are many other facts about solar energy that may surprise you. We at Burnham Nationwide have gathered together some interesting facts about solar energy and the history of solar energy.
1. Cost. Sunlight, of course, is free. However, it must be collected in cells and then stored in batteries; those items can be expensive. The batteries must be able to store the energy so that it can be used when it is needed. That storage system and the technology that converts the sunlight into direct currents allow it to be used at night and on cloudy days. As solar power continues to become more widely used as an energy source, its price will start to fall. Currently, many consumers are concerned about climate change. Thus, they are turning to solar power. Some of them are making these changes after being encouraged by global legislation. In fact, in 1985, there was only a 21MW demand for this type of energy, and now, there is approximately a 5.9GW demand per year, representing a significant increase.
2. Usage worldwide. Right now, the United States ranks third in the world for solar power usage. Spain is first in the world, and they used 285% more of it last year than the year before. Germany has recently moved from first place to second place. Korea takes fourth place and is followed by Italy and Japan. At sixth place, Japan is actually further back than it has ever been. Japan used to account for about fifty percent of the global demand for solar power only a few years ago.
3. Electricity availability. Currently, about two billion people have no access to electricity. When they start to use electricity, it may be solar, and it will be a new chapter in the history of the world and its energy sources. As the cost of implementing solar energy decreases, there is potential to bring it to more remote areas and villages.
4. Nuclear power. Energy from the sun is based on nuclear power. However, it utilizes a nuclear power plant that is about ninety-three million miles away from earth. That is correct; the sun’s energy is created by nuclear reactions on the sun!
5. History of solar energy. Leonardo Da Vinci used the sun’s rays to heat water at the Vatican. By building a system of concave mirrors, he was able to effectively heat water with them. He is notorious for many things, but some of his inventions, such as the airplane, were never built during his lifetime. Years after his death, the first airplane was built. Now, it is even possible for some of these planes to run off of energy from the sun. In 1990, a solar powered aircraft flew across the U.S. without using any other fuel. The trip took 121 hours of flying and required the plane to stop about twenty times. There are other world records that show that planes have been able to fly up to twenty-six hours without stopping.
6. Fossil fuels. If you think about it from a scientific standpoint, fossil fuels are actually forms of solar power. Fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and gas, all formed millions of years ago from the decomposition of plants. Those plants were reliant on the sun for their growth and for their very existence. Thus, without the sun, these plants would have never formed fossil fuels.
There are so many facts about solar energy to consider. The entire planet relies on the sun for its survival, and as solar power becomes more prolific, we will rely also on it for our lights, our warm showers, and our central heating, among other things. New discoveries in the coming years will continue to bring new and exciting innovations in the field of solar energy.
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