what is some accurate information about solar energy?
398875
It consists of electromagnetic waves over a huge spectrum from radio to gamma.
939391
The big expense is the cost of setting up.  Solar power is not particularly efficient at the moment so you have a lot of infrastructure that you have to put in.  Australia has just started funding a solar project recently\n\nhttp://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20645117-28737,00.html\nhttp://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/international/news/20061025p2g00m0in017000c.html\n\nThese are a few articles on it.  The other costs are the drawbacks.  You have to store the power because power usually peaks at night time and solar power peaks during the day.  So you have the cost of energy storage on top of the plant costs.  To be totally honest with you I don't think anybody has a very accurate idea yet on how much it will cost to produce solar power.  It is an older technology but it has not until recently been investigated on the scale that people are looking producing today.  So there are costs of unforseen problems that will have to be factored in.  These costs should drop over time as solar power becomes more common but the initial outlay may be substantial.\n\nAnyway I wish I had more to say, Good luck with your research project.
18707
The answer depends on how big or how much each solar panel produces.  But you definetly need at least 1,200 Watts. You can either try to produce the energy Chemically or Mechanically.  Chemically you need Photo Electric Panels Large enough to produce 1,200 watts.  Mechanically you would use mirrors to focus the suns rays onto a boiler to create steam and then turn a turbine generator.
293823
If you want some info look at this magazine call mother earth news it has alot of info on solar energy, solar heating and other stuff. Try it, i'll give the webs site of were to get it. I am always look at solar earth and cheap heating. i hope this helps http://www.motherearthnews.com/
242357
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal_energy
456924
http://www.bigginhill.co.uk/solar.htm\n\nhttp://www.jc-solarhomes.com/how_to.htm\n\nhttp://www.jc-solarhomes.com/solar_heating.htm\n\nhttp://www.solar-components.com/SOLARKAL.HTM\n\nhttp://www.motherearthnews.com/top_articles/1984_January_February/Build_an_Integral_Passive_Solar_Water_Heater\n\n\nGood Luck!
815466
u can visit www.solarsystem.nasa.gov
246888
Currently, solar cells are only moderately efficient. Solar panels must be installed in large, unshaded areas.\n\nOther solar facilities that convert water to steam to generate power require acres of land for mirrors to focus the sun on the generation point.\n\nAll solar facilites will alter the environment around by raising the temperature in the air above them.  In the case of solar panels, they can be installed on roofs but steam facilities will block most of the sunlight from reaching the ground, altering the natural environment under the mirror field.
669233
http://solarviews.com/\n\nAll the info about all the planets!
275059
yes, search yahoo.\nHere's a good one\nhttp://www.solarviews.com/cap/sun/sundiag.htm i think...
577723
solar energy to create heat and use that to turn turbines(as in a hydroelectric the force of water turns turbine), windmills use the wind to wind the huge fans and the mechanical energy to wind turbines to create electricity. states like california, new jersey and new york use these kinds of technology.
710592
A solar cell (or a "photovoltaic" cell) is a semiconductor device that converts photons from the sun (solar light) into electricity. In general a solar cell that includes both solar and non-solar sources of light (such as photons from incandescent bulbs) is termed a photovoltaic cell. Fundamentally, the device needs to fulfill only two functions: photogeneration of charge carriers (electrons and holes) in a light-absorbing material, and separation of the charge carriers to a conductive contact that will transmit the electricity. This conversion is called the photovoltaic effect, and the field of research related to solar cells is known as photovoltaics.\n\nAlso check this link, this is from NASA http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2002/solarcells.htm
720553
There are many ways to take advantage of the energy produced by the sun.  A good place to start is with a passive solar energy water heater.  They are inexpensive to install and easy to maintain.  The simplest ones use the radiant energy of the sun and convert that to thermal energy using a material that absorbs the light instead of reflecting it, in layman's terms, something black.  \n\nPhotovoltaic (solar cell) systems convert sunlight directly into electricity. A solar or Photovoltaic cell consists of semiconducting material that absorbs the sunlight. The solar energy knocks electrons loose from their atoms in a semiconductor, allowing the electrons to flow through the material to produce electricity.\n\nFor a more in-depth explanation of photovoltaic technology try this site.
105865
Solar energy is available in a large quantity, in fact much larger than all other safe energy sources put together. Energy obtained from coal, petroleum, other carbon based products and that obtained from nuclear fusion/fission is not safe for the enviornment.\nSo Solar energy has two major advantages -\n1. Abundant, hence making it cheap.\n2. Environmental friendly.
64722
A radiometer does what you describe. \n\nhttp://store.sundancesolar.com/solrad.html\n\n\nDirections to build a simple radiometer:\n\nMake a radiometer to measure solar energy. Colour the paper side of a gum wrapper black and cut in four pieces. Stick the pieces to each side of a match stick with the shiny sides all facing the same way. Wrap a thread around a pencil and attach to the match stick. Suspend in the jar and place in a sunny location. The radiometer will turn as it absorbs energy.
398963
Solar power works-it is used in many places.  The question is one of economics, which underlies nearly every human activity, but is one of the least studied fields.  It is expensive, and energy-intensive, to make solar-powered electrical panels-which in any case only work well inbright sunlight.  Solar power is most useful for heating water in individual houses, but again, it isnt economically competitive with coal, oil, and natural gas.  In order for solar power to be widely used, a number of things would have to happen. 1) development of much better electrical storage (batteries, heat sinks, capacitors, etc) 2) either solar power generators would have to get much more efficient or coal, gas, and oil much much more expensive or 3) to concern with greenhouse gases and pollution rise to such a level that people would be willing to pay 5-10 times more for electrical power.
519547
Most likely Energy in Joules. We need a context though.