celebrity writers

Facts About Solar Energy

Solar Power & Home Solar Panels

Oct 10, 2008

If considering solar panels to reduce energy costs, one should know how solar energy works, sunlight availability, product specs, and where to find more information.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory website the photoelectric effect was discovered, in 1839, by Edmond Becquerel. The site states that it took another 100 years before scientists could understand the complete process. The author anonymous site advises solar energy is produced from materials concentrating the sun’s energy. Photovoltaic cell technology uses solar cells for converting sunlight into electrical energy utilizing the photoelectric effect "...causing certain materials to convert light energy into electrical energy at the atomic level."

Effects of Global Warming

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Program is helping to develop improved solar-energy technologies. The claim is that solar technology lessens Americans' dependence on foreign oil and other fossil energy technologies adding to the causes of global warming. Also, they advise that the Program funds diverse Photovoltaic Call Technologies helping to stimulate our economy and create more jobs in the solar cell industry. The Program states that a growing number of people, such as ordinary citizens, celebrities, and business owners (even oilman T. Boone Pickens) are switching to clean energy technologies.

Home Solar Panels, Advantages & Disadvantages

The on-line Spheral Earth Solar Store, based in Salt Lake city, Utah has been selling solar products for different manufacturers since 1998. The site offers some advice about negative effects of switching to solar panels to save money. The factors to consider are the costs of installation, amount of energy needed, and amount of energy used. They claim that residents of states receiving more sunshine, like California, Arizona, Florida will benefit most from solar energy.

U.S. Solar Radiation Resource Maps will provide prospective customers of solar panels guidelines to average availability of solar energy for their area. The site offers a wide range of options for obtaining this information. They offer a fill-in form which in turn will produce a solar resource map.

Solar Power, Ratings & Systems

The Sustain Lane site offers access to solar product reviews by consumers and clean energy experts. The reviews cover solar panels, photovoltaic energy systems, solar electricity/home system, and portable units for heating and charging hand-held electronics.

The people behind Sustain Lane are experts in their respective fields.

James Elsen is President and CEO with background in Silicon Valley technology-based ventures. He has a degree in economics from the University of New York, and holds an MBA from Yale.
Elli Albek is Chief Technology Officer who is a recognized product expert. He graduated summa cum laude from Technion, the Israeli Institute of Technology, in Haifa, Israel.
Jay Golden is Vice President and has produced viral web movies on sustainability issues. He has spoken on CNN, Fox News, and other media sources.
Sivaram Karuturi is Managing Director of Indian Operations. He has experience in working with many technology and engineering companies in the U.S. and India. He holds a Master’s degree in Environmental engineering from The University of Missouri.

Many on-line resources are available for learning more about solar power. The U.S. Department of Energy would be a good place to start. When considering switching to solar power for reducing energy costs and global warming, the map link will be a valuable tool to determine sun availability for the area. Other links provided will provide the consumer with solar equipment reviews, advantages and disadvantages of solar power.

The copyright of the article Facts About Solar Energy in Energy Conservation is owned by Bernard P. Nelson. Permission to republish Facts About Solar Energy in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.