Solar energy, at its most basic, is radiation generated by the sun that reaches the earth as light and

heat. The two

main types of solar energy are solar electricity and solar thermal. For the former, the solar energy is converted into electricity, whereas for the latter, the energy is used to heat a fluid to high temperature. There are actually many ways of harnessing the energy of the sun like solar cells, solar towers, solar water heaters, light tubes and solar cookers.

The sun is a blazing globe of hot gases fuelled by nuclear fusion - where small atoms are squeezed together at great pressure to make heavier atoms with the release of massive amounts of energy. The energy from the sun is radiated out in all directions as light. Much of the energy striking the earth is reflected back into space by the atmosphere, but a staggering 90,000 TW of power arrives at the earths surface, 6,000 times more power than the entire human race uses.

Methods of collecting light Although most forms of energy have the sun as their ultimate source. The term solar energy is generally used to refer to methods of collecting light and turning it directly into a useful form of energy. Available technologies are:

1. Passive Solar Gain This form of energy is often taken for granted; sunlight enters through windows, and warms the house. In an average house, passive solar gain contributes 14% of the heating demand. Orienting the house so that the more often used rooms face south; larger windows on the south side, smaller on the north; using building materials that store heat by adding thermal mass to the house and laying out housing so that buildings do not over shadow each other.

2. Solar Thermal Collectors This technology uses a solar panel that is specifically designed to collect light and heat up. Some, more carefully insulated panels, do not require direct sunshine, and will work even on a cloudy day. Typical working temperatures are below 100C, and the energy is normally used to provide either space heating or hot water for washing. There are many different designs, but two types have found favor in cooler climates the flat panel and the evacuated tube.

The flat panel solar collectors are generally cheaper systems per unit area. Their common feature is a flat plate with a black surface which absorbs sunlight. This surface may be of a selective coating which absorbs almost all light, but doesnt radiate heat so well.

The heat is transferred to water which is pumped through pipes that are connected to the flat plate. A glazing material insulates the hot plate while letting the sunlight through. Layers of insulation behind the hot plate reduce heat loss to the rear.

Evacuated tube collectors benefit from the extremely high insulation of a vacuum (like in a vacuum flask), which totally eliminates losses by conduction and convection. The vacuum is maintained inside a sealed glass tube. Sunlight is absorbed by a selective coating on a collector plate inside the tube (right). Heat may be removed by direct circulation of the water or by a heat pipe that contains a refrigerant. The refrigerant evaporates in the tube, and condenses at the cold end, transferring heat into water circulating there. Evacuated tube collectors are said to be more efficient due to lower losses, and consequently to perform better on cold or cloudy days. Solar thermal systems typically achieve efficiencies over 80%. 3. Photovoltaic Cells Photovoltaic (PV) cells, which convert light directly into electricity, have become commonplace on devices such as calculators and watches. There are a number of technologies in

development with the aim of making PV more economic for electrical power generation. All use semiconductor materials like those used in silicon chips.

The heart of a PV cell is the interface between two different types of semiconductor. When a light photon hits a silicon atom in this region, it throws out an electron. The electron travels through the n-type semiconductor to metal contacts on the surface. The hole left by the absence of the electron travels in the opposite direction, through the p-type semiconductor. Once at the metal contact, the electron flows through an electrical circuit back to meet up with a hole at the other contact. As it flows through the external circuit, the electron does useful work, like charging a battery, or operating an electrical appliance. Photovoltaic systems have been reducing in cost, and increasing in efficiency in recent years. The most efficient commercially available systems can convert up to 16% of the light energy that strikes them into electrical energy. 4. Solar Concentrators If the suns rays are concentrated using mirrors, much higher temperatures can be created enough to make steam to drive a turbine and generate electricity. The light is focused onto a central collector with oil flowing through it. The oil heats up to 400C, and then moves on to heat water and make high pressure steam. Solar concentrators only work in direct sunshine, and when aimed right at the sun. The mirror is held on a support that can turn to follow the sun as it moves throughout the day, adding to complexity and cost. Because of this, they are only used in areas benefiting from a sunny climate, with more clear days.

How to Use Solar Energy

Solar energy can be used to power almost everything now, and it can be used at home with or without solar panels. Some of the most common and effective ways to use solar energy are to capture it without having to buy expensive or complicated panels for your roof. You can use small, inexpensive solar panels to power laptops, lights, and even use solar ovens to cook your food

Pakistan is most suitable for solar power: As you can see, the cons of implementing solar power in your home are primarily cost and location related, but if those two items do not pose issues for you, the good news is Lets not forget that solar energy increases the value of your home too. Solar power is not subject supply and demand fluctuations in the way that gas is. Silicon, the primary component of solar panels, is also being more widely produced, therefore, less and less expensive with each passing year.

Solar power is independent. This is great because you can supply your home with electricity during a power outage. Solar power can also be used in remote locations, places where conventional power cant be reached. On a larger scale, solar power also reduces our need to rely on foreign sources for power.

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Project on Development of energy efficient solar lights approved

Total cost of the project is 6.77m Actual date of the project January 2006 Completion date is dec 2009
ISLAMABAD, Sept 27 (Online): The Ministry of Science and Technology has approved the development project, \"Development of low power high intensity solar lights\. The project will cost 6.77 million and will be completed in one year. Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy Technology (PCRET) will execute the project. Ch Nouraiz Khan, Federal Minister for science and technology while elaborating the significance of the project said that the quest for alternative sources of energy is not science fiction any more but harsh reality of the our age . He said that Pakistan was investing a lot in solar energy projects as our weather was suitable for it and the state of the art solar lights will provide the perfect impends to these projects. The proposed solar light will be utilized by inhabitants of the deprived areas of the country, which are still far away from the grid electricity, besides the ongoing rural electrification projects. While energy saving quality of WLED allows the use of smaller solar panels and smaller batteries thus reducing the overall cost of the system. The provision of energy utilities to remote rural areas is a social service that the government has to provide to these localities to increase their standards of living health.

Project approved for electrification of rural areas through solar energy

37.50m Actual date 25 febuary 2005 Completion date dec 2009

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Ch Nouraiz Shakoor said that it is the responsibility of the government to provide basic amenities to all sectors of the population. A large number of populations living in rural areas of Pakistan have no access to any kind of electricity source. The provision of electric utilities to remote rural areas is a social service that the government has to provide to these localities to increase their standard of living, health and education. To provide these rural areas with electricity, Ministry of Science and Technology has approved a project entitled " Electrification of mosques and schools in remote rural areas through Solar energy" at a cost of Rs 28.58 million. This project will be executed by Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy Technologies, Islamabad. The project suggests a 200 watts PV system for each mosque, to power four lights (20W), amplifier and two fans (80W). While for school PV system is of 400 Watts to cater power for one light, one computer and two fans. A total of one hundred and twenty PV systems shall be installed all over the country. Nouraiz Shakoor said that through this project solar electricity will be provided to 120 mosques and schools, distributed over all four provinces of the country. Those villages will be selected which have no electricity and are not included in the government priority for rural electrification within the period of, at least, next 20 years, he said. He further said that Pakistan is investing a large amount of its precious foreign exchange on the import of oil for the generation of electricity. Therefore it is the prime time to focus on the available Renewable Energy Resources for the generation of electricity in the country. Countries like Bangladesh, Palestine, Egypt, Japan and Kenya are already working on this concept, he added.

Domestic Application

The concept of using solar power for running domestic appliances is at its introductory stage. We have few reference installations in Pakistan for this application. Women Art Center in village Thatha Ghulam Ka Dheroka, Tehsil Gogera, district Okara is being powered with solar. This is one of the largest stand-alone systems in Pakistan, which is dedicated for such application. Installed in April 1997.

In Sukker a house is being powered with solar. First Solar powered house in any urban area of Pakistan.

Installed in May 1997.

Stand-alone system for running domestic appliances in a remote desert area of district Sukker.

Installed in Sept 1997.

An example of rural area electrification is a stand-alone system in a remote location in Cholistan desert, district Rahim Yar Khan

Installed in Aug 1997 Benefits of solar energy: .

Save On Electricity Costs Your solar system will reduce your electric costs. When your system is producing more power than you are using, you sell that power to the utility company. As you do so, your meter actually spins backwards! Its a really empowering thing to watch. Renewable Solar energy will not run out until the sun stops shining (in a few billion years). We cannot use it up, like we can do with fossil fuels (natural gas, oil, coal). The sparser the world fuel resources become, the more

expensive they will be. Fossil fuels will eventually end, but before they do, their price will keep increasing day by day. Environmentally-Friendly Solar energy benefits the environment. Even though there is some minimal pollution created in the process of solar device manufacturing, it's nothing compared to what is emitted by fossil fuels, including greenhouse gases and carcinogens. The use of fossil fuels contributes to global warming, smog, and acid rain. Furthermore, fossil fuels create the need to store dangerous radioactive waste. Silent In comparison to other renewable energy sources (wind and water), solar devices make absolutely no noise during their operation. Wind and water power generators produce a lot of noise, which may be frowned upon by neighbors of the homeowner who started to use a wind or water power generator. Cost-Effective Solar energy benefits your pocket. Solar powered systems obviously require an initial investment. However, in the long run there will be no incurring costs whatsoever (unless your panels suffer a fall, and break). Any homeowner will be able to reduce their electric bill, while some lucky individuals will even be able to generate excess electric and sell it to their local utility company. Using your local electric grid for lighting, heating, and cooling a home is one of the largest expenses that a regular home incurs. For instance, a single 100-watt light bulb that is constantly on will cost as much as $100 annually.

When you are connected to a grid, you are paying for a utility service, which means that there is no return on your monthly "investment". Solar power generators, on the other hand, are an investment, because they will keep saving you money every month, up to completely sparing you from the burden of paying electric bills. Furthermore, there are various tax incentives (up to 20-30% of the system's cost) offered by many governments to encourage their citizens to start using renewable energy sources. Autonomous If you need to power a home in a remote location, a solar power generator may be the most practical and cost-effective option. Furthermore, your home will be protected from any power outages. Easy to Install Solar energy benefits include the ease of installation. Even though solar systems vary in their complexity, many of them are easy for anyone to install (e.g., outdoor solar lights don't even require any wiring). Do-it-yourself enthusiasts even find it easy to install regular solar panels and devices, with the aid of a good instruction manual. And last, but certainly not least, its good for our planet! Solar energy is clean, renewable and sustainable. It does not fill our atmosphere with carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, mercury or any

other pollutants. It is a free and unlimited source of power, unlike expensive and damaging fossil fuels