News
Campaigners Power Renewable Energy Debate
Sustainable energy campaigners say now is the time to start switching Australia over to renewable power plants.
Perth Solar City Project
Perth is one of Australia's sunniest cities and is finally moving towards some solar PV installations. Although initially a little more expensive, these projects provide a great benefit to the enrironment and reduce peak electricity use.
Sponsored Links
Sustainability
Clean Energy Council
The Clean Energy Council is the peak body representing Australia's clean energy sector
Beyond Zero Emissions
Beyond Zero Emissions facilitates the implementation of social changes and technologies needed to reduce the impacts of climate change and give our society and global ecosystems a chance of surviving into the future.
Sustainable Energy WA
Sustainable Energy Development Office of WA (SEDO) is the government contingent in WA looking at and funding sustainable energy initiatives.
Sustainable Energy VIC
The government contingent looking at sustainable energy in Victoria
Solar Power
Solar power is energy harnessed from the sun. There are two ways in which this process can be achieved and each have their advantages and disadvantages.
Solar Photovoltaic (Solar Panels)
Solar Photo Voltaic or Solar PV for short involves the harnessing of sun directly to electrical energy. This is done using solar panels usually made from some form of silicon or similar element. These panels can be installed in various orientations in order to maximize the amount of energy converted from solar radiation to electrical energy.
Although in some locations, solar intensity is consistently high, we still have the problem that the sun only shines for about 6-8 hours a day which again leaves us with the problem that our energy source has limited potential within an energy mix.
Something that solar PV does have going for it is the fact that our peak usage occurs at roughly the same times as our peak solar energy generation, and therefore it is extremely useful at smoothing the peak energy demand.
Solar Thermal
The other widely used form of solar energy is solar thermal. Unlike Solar PV, solar thermal energy plants are essentially thermal generators where the heat is harnessed from the sun instead of by burning coal or other non renewable energy forms. This is usually done by either reflecting light using angled mirrors toward a large central chamber, or by running hundreds of metal pipes along curved mirror troughs where the pipes congregate at a central thermal heating unit for generation. The advantage of solar thermal plants over solar PV panels is that solar thermal energy can be stored as heat in molten salts or graphite bars allowing a much smoother supply of electricity to meet energy demand.