Solar power is the power of the future. The work “Solar “ is the Latin word for “sun” The sun is an extreme source of power and one hour of sun shine on the earth could provide enough power to power America for an entire year. Solar power is an exciting free power source that’s gathering a lot of attention, and we can expect see more of it used in the future.

At the present there are two primary ways of harnessing solar energy. The first and oldest use of solar power is using the suns rays as heat. The sun has been used for heat for thousands of years so this process is nothing new. The second way to harness the sun is to turn the heat provided by the sun into a usable energy source. These techniques are a bit newer, but they also have been used for hundreds of years. Some of the earliest examples of harnessing energy from the sun were solar collectors. Solar collectors focused the suns energy to perform tasks like creating fires and cooking food.

Today we utilize the suns energy in more organized and productive forms. We use advanced solar collectors to heat our homes and pools. Large solar collectors are strategically located on the roof of homes and buildings. These collectors need to have clear and prolong exposure to the sun. The longer the collectors are exposed to the sum the more power they are able to extract from the suns heat. The collectors absorb the suns heat and transfer the heat into water that we use to heat our homes.

Using solar power to create electricity is a bit more complex. The process of changing heat into electricity is called photovoltaics. If you have a solar-powered watch or calculator, you’re using photovoltaics! One of the earliest applications of solar power was its usage on the Vanguard satellite in 1958. The solar cells on the Vanguard allowed the satellite to continue transmitting signals to earth long after the batteries were exhausted. As time went on solar cell technology improved and became more practical for common use and today it is estimated that over 10,000 American homes use some type of solar power.

Researchers are diligently working on improving current solar power technologies and creating new ones. They are now working with concentrating solar power. This is a process that uses large lenses and mirrors to focus sun light in a mechanism known as a parabolic dish. Another experimental technology is using a solar updraft tower. This technology uses a greenhouse that funnels the heated air into a tower. The heated air flows up inside the tower turning turbines that convert the air flow into electricity. There are numerous other technologies now being developed and as they become cost effective we will start seeing them put into use.