The Science of Solar

I recently learned in my astronomy class that the sun produces more energy every second than the human race has since the industrial revolution.

So that sure would explain why in these tough times where many electricity creating natural resources are dwindling that humans are turning to the sun to get their power.

But even though the sun is creating so much power we have a hard time harvesting enough for our own use, why is that? There are a number of reasons, most of which have to do with a lack of ability.

To start at the source you must understand that even though the sun emits so much energy that is in every direction. So we are just in the path of some of the energy.

The next blockade is that the earth has a magnetic field. This is a good thing because it protects us from the suns blasts of energy that can literally rip off our atmosphere. Which is what has been theorized to have happened to Mars.

So our magnetic field protects us from the sun immense amount of energy, which means some of the energy is deferred.

Now we are to where we make our attempt at capturing the power of the sun, planet earth.

The most popular method for harnessing electricity from the sun, I say most popular because I do not know if there are other types, are solar panels.

There are different types of solar panels but the most common ones on the market are photo voltaic, or PV panels. Now science is advancing in this field on a daily basis because of the new rise in demand, but still these are extremely inefficient, only capturing less than 40% of the actual solar power reaching the panel.

What that means for solar installations is that they have to be put in the most efficient locations possible, turns out that along the US Mexico border that is in fact one of the best locations for solar radiance.

To the right is an image of the solar radiance of Mexico, as you can see the red is the most solar radiance, which means that in the red would be the best location to capture solar power.

Below is a image that measures the same solar radiance but in the United States. As you can see right on the border with Mexico is one of the areas with the most solar radiance.

Essentially currently the capture of solar power for energy is extremely inefficient so the location is extremely vital so that more energy can be captured, the US Mexico border area is ideal for solar installations.

Alternative, Alternative Energy

At the mention of alternative energy everyone in the conversation immediately says it is a great thing. We want that clean energy because we want to save the planet. But what about alternative alternative energy?

When the average American is discussing alternative energy what is mostly being talked about is solar panels to collect electricity, solar water heaters and wind turbines. But are there more alternatives to these alternatives?

The first ones that come to mind and that I personally have experience with are solar ovens, solar cookers and solar dryers all of which are related to food. Now in the American world of electricity and easily available gas not to mention microwave ovens the idea of using anything solar to prepare your food seems ridiculous.

Just to help out the reader I would like to define for you what these contraptions look like and what function they perform.

Solar Cooker- These are used for what you would use your stove top for. You place your pot of whatever you need to cook in the middle of the device and wait for quite a bit longer than a stove would take. But with enough forethought these can work excellently.

(please note this is a generic image as there are many types and variations)

Solar Oven- These are extremely similar to the solar cookers. But the difference is they perform the function that a oven would. Generally the reflectors point the sun into a enclosed space that has a glass plate over top of the space. What is trying to be cooked is behind the glass plate. What ends up happening is a amplified version of what happens to your car in the summer, the interior gets really hot. These are commonly built in high school science classes to bake some cookies.

Solar Dryer- These are used to dry out food so it can be preserved. These are extremely similar to the solar ovens in design but the time frame is much greater. These actual vary in use and design much more than the cooker or oven. But essentially the result is the same to dry out fruit and vegetables by using free energy from the sun.

Please note this is a generic image and the design and use of solar dryers can vary immensely.

All of these devices are becoming more common to be used in rural Mexico where all forms of cooking are being done by burning wood. Which creates smoke and work for the people collecting the wood.

The idea of taking more time to prepare a meal in the microwave meal infested America seems a hard concept to grasp but in places where one might spend a few hours walking to where any wood remains and then carrying or carting it back to then be able to start cooking is it a practical solution.

Again solar cookers, ovens and dryers are not about being “green” for most of the users in Mexico and around the US border with Mexico is it about necessity, just like we found with the solar power.

Please note this is a generic image, solar ovens can vary greatly in design and function.

Working Rural

A local in Zimbabwe, Hardwork Marange, helps lower the solar well pump into the ground

In the United State and many other developed countries all buildings are governed by building codes. From the plumbing to the electrical everything has to be cleared and signed off on as being up to the state and federal codes.

When you break the realm of the developed countries you begin to lose all of those rules and regulations. But along with losing the codes you also lose the availability of modern technology that assists in the installation and monitoring of solar products.

From what I have seen people’s experience with solar power is related to their friends and family trying to live green, so they add some solar panels to their house. Then maybe they are free from the regular power grid or maybe they are in what is a grid tied system, where they still receive regular power and sell back to the grid when they have excess solar power.

But when you go outside of the “green living” concept there is the “need living” reality. This is where you will see the solar systems being installed in the developing countries, like Mexico and along the US-Mexico border.

Personally I have never installed a rural system on the US-Mexico border but I have installed a system in a rural town in Zimbabwe, Africa.

In a rural setting such as I was in you don’t measure your tools in horsepower but in man power. When you are ready to put a solar well pump into the ground you lower it in by hand, if you made a mistake you have to pull it out by hand, there is no other option.

The art of crafting solar panel brackets from the scrap yard. (photo by Joshua Schaa)

When the time comes to set the solar panels on the roof you don’t swing around a fork lift you get 5 guys spread out on the ladder, the ground and the roof to get the panels up.

Much like rural Mexico and along the US border in Zimbabwe if the solar system was not installed the only way to get the water would be to hand pull it out in buckets, and to have lights at night is to stock up on candles sand matches.

Having helped install system in the US using lifts and prebuilt mounting brackets it was quite an experience to have to start from scratch.

When working in the rural environment there comes delays that can take hours and even up to days, simple things like you run out of the right size bolts for fastening the solar panels down and you have to wait until the next trip to town, which might be a week away.

From what I saw in Zimbabwe and I have heard of working out in the rural locations of ranches and Forest Service water pumps along the border you have whatever you brought with you.

The luxuries of winches and electricity just don’t exist on location and to bring that with you means hours more of work or it is just impossible.

When solar contractors or solar living people think about actual using solar because it is a necessity and there is no other viable alternative it makes the job quite different.