To some people, a solar power company is the future of energy production in Canada. This is because the cost to produce photovoltaic cells (which are used to gather solar energy) has continually decreased in recent years. Plus, with the current drive to move away from fossil fuels, it becomes a more viable option for energy investors every day. But what is solar energy, and how does it work? Today, we will look at the 3 main processes used to generate solar energy.
Photo-voltaic Solar Energy
Photovoltaic (PV) devices generate electricity directly from sunlight via a process that occurs naturally in certain types of material, called semiconductors. These semiconductors transfer energy, when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) rays, through a one-way circuit which is then used to power motors or other mechanical systems. However, PV devices are not 100% efficient, in part because only certain light within the UV spectrum can be absorbed. This effect is lessened by anti-reflective films and dark tinting materials. Luckily, thanks to modern technological improvements, these cells continue to absorb energy at a more and more efficient rate.
Solar heating and cooling
Solar heating & cooling (SHC) technologies collect the thermal energy from the sun and use this heat to provide space heating and cooling for residential, commercial, and industrial applications. This includes heating bodies of water like those found in your hot water tank or even large indoor pools. This is one of the most popular uses of solar energy. SHC technologies accounted for 72% of the energy used in the average household in the United States of America in 2010.
Concentrated solar power
Concentrating solar power (CSP) plants use mirrors to concentrate the sun’s energy to drive traditional steam turbines or engines that create electricity. The thermal energy concentrated in a CSP plant can be stored for later use, which helps make battery farms a more viable option when powering large metropolitan areas. A solar power company can make use of this when there are successive overcast days or hardware issues with their photo-voltaic cells. Though there are many types of CSP plants, we will only be mentioning the power tower. This method uses mirrors that automatically track the position of the sun, and focus the rays towards a receiver of thermal-conducting liquids which absorb the energy for later use.
Empower Energy Corp is here to provide people in Western Canada with top-tier solar PV solutions. Having installed over 1,247,120 watts of solar power, there is no limit to how far we will go to help our customers. Contact our solar power company today at 1 (780) 532-3610.
