Solar Energy Uses
The Use of Solar Energy has been around since man first grew crops, through the crops we grew a society. The recent uses of solar energy range from simple efficient home heating to powering our satellites in space using photoelectric cells. Experimental cars have also been built to take advantage with the power of the sun, and in this regard the use of solar energy is a direct transfer to electrical currents, and then to kinetic energy. However, solar photoelectric panels are not the most effective or efficient method of electricity generation - the use of solar thermal power transferred to sterling engines that run off of heat differentials have been proven to be more effective, having a conversion rate of around 40% efficency, whilst photoelectric cells are at around 12%.
The uses for solar energy are limitless with the current advances in technology as far as powering goes, using sterling engines we can get a large amount of output at a high efficency, with mirror based solar power plants we can super heat water to spring steam turbines for greater output (with less efficency albeit), and we can use photoelectric cells for many applications and needs in areas that lack the essential grid hookups to power emergency phones. Portable phones may also have a use with this technology in the future as a way to avoid having a dead battery in an emergency situation - there are also less extreme uses for solar energy. Warming your house, heating your water, saving you money in the long run and having an efficient less energy consuming household are some of the best applications for the use of solar energy today. Considering you could save half on energy bills, for heating water and your home, and on electrical usage. Furthermore if you switched all your light fixtures to florescent they would pay for themselves in a year since each one uses a sixth of power than an incandescent bulb.