Solar power converts sunlight into electricity directly using photovoltaics or indirectly using concentrated solar power. Concentrated solar power uses lenses or mirrors to focus sunlight into a small beam. In 1839, French physicist Edmond Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic effect while experimenting with a cell made of electrodes in a conducting solution. While regular electricity must be paid for indirectly from power plants, solar power provides access straight from the sun and is often more cost-effective than fossil fuel options according to the World Economic Forum. China is currently the largest producer and consumer of solar energy in the world, with its solar capacity expected to double to 370GW by 2024. Solar power prices have dropped dramatically over the past decade and are
2. What do you know about solar power?
olar power is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly
sing photovoltaics, indirectly using concentrated solar power, or a combination.
oncentrated solar power systems use lenses or mirrors and solar tracking systems
o focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam.
3. When was solar panels first
invented?
In 1839, French physicist Edmond Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic effect
while experimenting with a cell made of metal electrodes in a conducting solution.
4. Why is regular electricity used
more than solar panels ?
Accessing power straight from the source makes more sense than paying for it
indirectly from your local power plant. Clearly, solar power is more cost-effective
than “regular” or standard electricity. According to the World Economic Forum
(WEF), installing new solar panels is cheaper than a comparable investment in
coal, natural gas or other fossil fuel options.
5. Where is solar panel
mostly used?
China is the largest solar energy producer in the world
Over the past few years, the Chinese capacity of solar panels has increased
exponentially. It has grown to be the largest solar market in the world and it
is estimated that by 2024, China will have 370GW of solar power installed,
double that of what the U.S. is expected to have.
6. Will solar panels be cheaper in the
future?
Solar power has gotten dramatically cheaper in the past 10 years, and is
absolutely expected to continue to get cheaper. In fact, it's expected to
steadily drop in price through the year 2050. And because the price will
always be dropping, there's really no point in waiting, because there's no
bottom price in sight.
