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Biomass :
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| Questions about Solar power |
What is solar power?
How does it work?
What are the environmental impacts of this technology?
What other benefits occur as a result of using solar power?
How much does the technology cost?
What is the future potential for solar power?
What are the effects of solar power for the community?
| Answers about Hydroelectric Power |
Question: What is solar power?
Solar power is the capture and harnessing of the sun's energy, which can then be used to heat or power our homes.
Question: How does it work?
There are three main ways of capturing the sun's energy:
Passive solar design is the application of principles when a building is constructed to ensure that heat loss is avoided, solar radiation is utilised and natural ventilation reduces dependency on mechanical systems such as air conditioning.
Active solar water heating uses collectors, usually on the roof of a building, to capture and store the sun's heat via water storage systems. The collectors provide heat to a fluid which circulates to a water tank. The heat is primarily used for heating water in domestic dwellings, industrial facilities and commercial buildings.
Photovoltaics (PV) involve the conversion of energy from the sun into electricity by means of semiconductors. The solar energy excites electrons so that they break free from their atoms, allowing the electrons to flow through the semiconductor material to produce electricity. There are a number of PV technologies including polycrystalline and thin-film. Solar PV cells can be arranged in panels on a building's roof or walls and often directly feed electricity into the building for use as lighting or power.
What are the environmental impacts of this technology?
There are three main ways of capturing the sun's energy:
While the technology itself is usually visible (i.e. solar panels), the use of solar power has positive implications for the environment as the technologies used produce no air pollution and emit little or no noise during operation.
What other benefits occur as a result of using solar power?
As the electricity is generated at the same point at which it is used, transmission and distribution costs and any environmental impacts are avoided.
With no moving parts, the operation of solar technology is virtually silent and also means that maintenance and life-spans of the systems are high, at around 15-20 years. Panels placed on roofs mean that there is minimal visual intrusion.
How much does the technology cost?
For most buildings, heating bills can be reduced by 20 per cent at negligible capital cost by applying passive solar design.
The cost of a professionally installed active solar heating domestic system can vary from £2,000 to £4,000 depending on the size and type of system. There are some indications that costs and prices of active solar systems are falling, which will increase the economic attractiveness of systems
PV technology has a long way to go before establishing itself competitively with conventional electricity and other renewables. Costs typically range from 60-70p/kWh.
What is the future potential for solar power?
Current capacity for solar power in the UK stands at 4MW - largely from photovoltaic systems. This is only a tiny proportion of its potential.
In March 2004 the Government announced £5 million funding for solar energy projects. Applying to medium and large-scale solar electric power installations, the grant represents another step along the road to ensuring continued growth of the PV Industry in the UK. This comes in addition to the Government's Community Energy grant programme, which is already working to educate planners and the property market about the new opportunities available through renewable energy.
What are the effects of solar power for the community?
Solar power has the potential to have a very positive effect on the community as a whole. Although employment opportunities in the industry are limited at the moment, due to the lack of market demand in solar technologies, there is great potential for employment in R&D, construction and installation.
Solar connections can be very cost effective, for example in remote locations, as opposed to grid connections.
Information supplied by the DTI 'It's only natural' campaign
Notes to editors:
About 'It's only natural'
The UK Government has committed to renewable energy by signing up to international agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol, which means we are now legally bound to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 12.5 per cent below 1990 levels by 2012. In addition, it has also set targets that by 2010, 10 per cent of the UK's electricity will come from renewable energy and that the percentage will increase to 20 per cent by 2020.
Currently just 3.86 per cent of the UK's electricity comes from renewables, so there is a lot of work to be done. This document is part of our campaign to provide you with more information about renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, biomass, wave and tidal power and why they are so important to the UK, to help us meet our international commitments and enable us to become a more sustainable nation.
For more information contact:
Aby Billi or Victoria Stainton, Porter Novelli
Tel: 01295 224533 or 01295 224397
Email: Firstname.lastname@cpn.co.uk
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