Solar Definition and 1000 Threads

Solar power is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV), indirectly using concentrated solar power, or a combination. Concentrated solar power systems use lenses or mirrors and solar tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. Photovoltaic cells convert light into an electric current using the photovoltaic effect.Photovoltaics were initially solely used as a source of electricity for small and medium-sized applications, from the calculator powered by a single solar cell to remote homes powered by an off-grid rooftop PV system. Commercial concentrated solar power plants were first developed in the 1980s. As the cost of solar electricity has fallen, the number of grid-connected solar PV systems has grown into the millions and gigawatt-scale photovoltaic power stations are being built. Solar PV is rapidly becoming an inexpensive, low-carbon technology to harness renewable energy from the Sun. The current largest photovoltaic power station in the world is the Pavagada Solar Park, Karnataka, India with a generation capacity of 2050 MW.The International Energy Agency projected in 2014 that under its "high renewables" scenario, by 2050, solar photovoltaics and concentrated solar power would contribute about 16 and 11 percent, respectively, of worldwide electricity consumption, and solar would be the world's largest source of electricity. Most solar installations would be in China and India. In 2019, solar power generated 2.7% of the world's electricity, growing over 24% from the previous year. As of October 2020, the unsubsidised levelised cost of electricity for utility-scale solar power is around $36/MWh.

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  1. J

    First post ever. Be Kind. Solar orbit questions

    Hello, total layman here. I have some questions & ideas, but no one to discuss them with, so here I am. 1. In the continuum between a completely circular orbit, and a maximally elliptical orbit, what characteristics of the orbital body and the gravitational source are the prime determinants...
  2. B

    Engineering Dc motor + battery + solar panel

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  3. S

    Solar position and velocity vectors - Use?

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  4. Chi Meson

    Chi Meson's Home Solar System Success Story

    The panels are up. 7kW system will be 110% of our electrical needs. Grid intertie, no batteries, no pile of money up front: $109/month for the next 15 years. Plus dig the new deck I built last summer. --Chi "Happy Homeowner" Meson
  5. T

    Equations of Motion of a Solar Sail HELP

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  6. T

    Intensity of solar radiation at earth orbit

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  7. W

    How sure can we be of the distances in the solar system?

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  8. T

    Best Method of Focusing Solar Power

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  9. J

    Investigating the Effects of Reflected Sun Light on Solar Cell Output

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  10. D

    Consider a planet in some solar system which has a mass double

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  11. T

    Maximizing Solar Radiation Heat Transfer on High Altitude Materials

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  12. P

    Stargazing How can I safely view a solar eclipse?

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  13. C

    Pool heat gain by solar radiation versus heat loss by evaporation

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  14. S

    Energy Generation Coefficient in a 50 Solar mass Main Sequence star

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  15. J

    Maximizing Energy Efficiency to Passive Solar House Design

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  16. S

    Electrical Solar panel thickness to avoid breaking DIY

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  17. S

    Solar system on my date of Birth

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  18. S

    Exploring Solutions for Space-Based Solar Power: Cost, Transmission, and Storage

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  19. F

    Harnessing Solar Energy to Provide Power & Water

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  20. E

    Using Black holes to view our solar system

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  21. A

    Our solar system and center of Milky way

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  22. T

    Boiling Water via New Solar Panel Method

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  23. U

    Can Laser-Pushed Solar Sails Achieve Near Light Speed by Circling Back?

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  24. V

    Effects of dark energy on our solar system

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  25. W

    The highest temperature reachable using the solar light as an energy source

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  26. J

    What percentage of solar energy is converted to solar neutrinos?

    what % of solar energy is converted to solar neutrinos, assuming energy released in all forms per unit time , say 1 second as 100%?
  27. J

    What percentage of solar energy is converted to solar neutrinos?

    what % of solar energy is converted to solar neutrinos, assuming energy released in all forms per unit time , say 1 second as 100%?
  28. Y

    CPC and Fresnel Lenses for Solar Cell Power

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  29. P

    Dollar Store Pumpkin Light Solar Conversion

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  30. T

    Solar vs Lunar Tides: Explaining the Difference

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  31. L

    Solar irradiation on the Earth as a function of latitude.

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  32. S

    How to describe position of our solar system to some ETI in other galaxy?

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  33. Wallis

    How Do Scientists Use Zircons to Date the Earth's Formation?

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  34. K

    How to become researchers of solar cell?

    I am now waiting to go uni after alvls. I am interested to do research about solar cell. which engineering program should I take? elelctrical, mechanical?? if my uni offer me electronics in optical engineering, should I go if I wan to research in solar cell??
  35. D

    Effect of Solar Storms on the Grid and Nuke Plants?

    I found a recent article suggesting that solar storms predicted in in the next few years pose a serious threat to the electrical grid and thus to nuclear plant cooling systems: "Severe Solar Storms Could Disrupt Earth This Decade: NOAA," International Business Times...
  36. A

    Calculating Solar Energy Generation from GHI, DNI, and DHI Data

    Can we calculate the daily energy generation of 20KW power pack if have the following information: Date Time GHI DNI DHI 01-01-2008 08:00 0 0 0 01-01-2008 09:00 149 398 75 01-01-2008 10:00 348 686 98 01-01-2008 11:00 512 792 112 01-01-2008 12:00 626 845 119...
  37. B

    Building a tester for solar cell efficiency

    I am trying to have students build a tester with sourceMeter, lamp, etc. for solar cell efficiency measurement. Could someone give me advice on this project? Thank you very much.
  38. N

    Is Residential Solar Power a No-Cost Solution for Homeowners?

    I am having my home evaluated by a SunRun, Home Depot and bpsolar consortium. There was a booth in a Home Depot store in NJ. The "deal in brief": I supply the roof area for solar and they get permits, build,install, maintain and pay for the entire solar system. Then they sell me power under...
  39. M

    How Does a Solar Cell Operate in Forward Bias?

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  40. Spinnor

    Measuring Neutrino Oscillations in a Solar Neutrino Rest Frame

    If I moved in the rest frame of a solar neutrino would I still measure neutrino oscillations? Thank you for any help!
  41. baywax

    Teen uses Fibonacci sequence to make solar energy breakthrough

    What do you think? http://www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/youngnaturalistawards/2011/images/aidan_large_08.jpg http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/good-news/teen-aidan-dwyer-uses-fibonacci-sequence-solar-energy-182220725.html
  42. J

    Parking System Uses Solar Power to Charge Electric Vehicles

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  43. J

    Effect of Moon's Orbital Speed on Frequency of Solar Eclipses

    A question from Chaisson & McMillan's "A Beginner's Guide to the Universe" is as follows: If the Moon orbited Earth twice as fast, but in the same orbit, the frequency of solar eclipses would (a) double; (b) be cut in half; (c) stay the same. The answer key states that the correct answer...
  44. S

    Visibility of a solar shade from a planetary surface

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  45. Astronuc

    Solar Flare & CME: August 9, 2011 X6.9 Flare

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  46. J

    Solar-Based Project: Making a Steam Engine to Generate Power

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  47. Dotini

    Alfven Waves Drive Coronal Heat + Solar Wind

    One of the all-time great science mysteries is now a step closer to explanation. The surface of the sun, known as the photosphere, can reach temperatures of 5,000 degrees. To many it would seem logical that the temperature would lower further away from the sun. But, the outer atmosphere, known...
  48. C

    Variation of sea water temperature as a function of air, and solar intensity

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  49. C

    What will be the Combined value of solar absorptivity?

    Hi. Can anyone please tell me what would be the solar absorptivity of a steel plate painted black? Steel has got solar absorptivity of 0.65, and black paint is around 0.97. So what will be the cumulative effect of this? Is taking average of them a logical step?
  50. D

    Optimal Tilt Angle of Solar Array

    Hello! I have a difficult problem I have been working with recently. I have been trying to model the ever changing position of a solar PV array system. The system is a single axis tracker and orientates itself to have the smallest angle of incidence(AOI) to the suns beam as possible (the best...
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