SOLAR ENERGY

WHAT IS SOLAR ENERGY?

Energy derived from the Sun's radiation. 

Sunlight is a clean, renewable source of energy.

HOW CAN WE OBTAIN IT?

ACTIVE AND PASSIVE SOLAR HEATING A passive solar system does not

involve mechanical devices

Active solar systems use external sources of energy to power blowers, pumps and other types of equipment to collect, store and convert solar energy.

ADVANTAGES

Clean and renewable. It can be produced free of charge. No pollution. No noise. Very little maintenance is needed to keep

solar cells running. In the long term, there can be a high

return on investment due to the amount of free energy a solar panel can produce.

DISADVANTAGES

Solar panels can be expensive to install. Electricity generation depends entirely on

a countries exposure to sunlight. Solar power stations do not match the

power output of similar sized conventional power stations.

The batteries can often be large and heavy, taking up space and needing to be replaced from time to time.