Solar Power Energy - the Earth's Natural Battery

The power that comes from the sun must be inverted from Direct Current (DC) to Alternating Current (AC) by using an inversion method before it can produce usable energy. If there will be a period of time when solar power will not be available, such as during the overnight hours, during a storm of when there are a lot of clouds blocking the sun, the energy that is absorbed during the daylight hours that is not used may be stored for later use.

A solar cell is a device that is used to capture the energy from the sun's heat and light and convert it into usable energy. Although the use of solar cells is not a new idea, it is gaining popularity among many consumers. Solar cells have long been used in remote areas such as those where electrical power from a power transmission system, such as a grid, is not readily available.

An example of a very small solar cell would be that seen in a solar calculator. The first solar cell was build at the latter end of the 19^th century by a scientist named Charles Fritts. Even though this relatively primitive device was only capable of accepting around 1% of the sun's energy, it paved the way for the technology to develop over the years.

Depending on the demand of the home or structure that uses solar power, a battery bank can be used to hold the energy for a period of time. The size of the storage battery will depend on how much energy will be used during off-peak hours. Other considerations to keep in mind are the rate at which the battery bank will put out energy, how long it will take to charge the battery and what the temperature will be where the battery is stored and used.

If the temperature is at extreme highs or lows, the battery will be more efficient for storage or, alternatively, it can be much less efficient. Before investing in a battery bank to harbor solar power energy, it is important to carefully consider each of these variables so that the most compatible unit can be purchased. A solar powered battery that is stored at colder temperatures will drop in somewhat efficiently.

If solar energy is not immediately used, there will inevitably be some loss of energy over time. This can increase the cost of using solar power and can also be responsible for power outages and intermittent supplies when the sun is not available. There are a few ways to increase the efficiency of stored solar energy, however. One method would be to connect to a power supply grid and send the energy that is not being used to be stored there. Although this seems to be much like the battery storage method, it is actually more along the lines of a trade with a power company. Another way to help ease the troubles that can come with a lack of sun for energy production is to supplement with wind power during seasons when solar power is not as easy to capture.

Sources:

http://www.eere.energy.gov/solar/

http://solar.hmtech.info/