| Solar power involves harnessing the power of the | | | | are used on the roof of a house to take full |
| sun to produce light and heat for buildings and | | | | advantage of sunlight. The tiles are the material |
| homes. With today's rising fuel costs, many people | | | | used for the roof covering and the cells in these |
| are turning to this alternative source of power as | | | | tiles trap the sunlight and transform it into |
| a means of heating their homes. The initial cost of | | | | electricity.b. Specially designed buildings - Buildings |
| setting up such as system may be more | | | | can have a special design in order to collect the |
| expensive, but the long- term costs are much | | | | heat radiated by the sun. They usually face |
| less expensive. | | | | toward the sun in order to take full advantage of |
| You already have experience using solar power, | | | | every second of daylight. There are large glass |
| even though you may not realize it. Calculators | | | | windows in every room and in summer, balconies |
| that will operate without batteries as long as they | | | | and large trees are used as shade to prevent the |
| are close to a light source are very common | | | | entry of too much of the sun's heat during the |
| examples. Greenhouses rely on solar power to | | | | day.c. Heated Water Pipes - Using the heat from |
| help the plants to grow. They are usually | | | | the sun to heat water pipes that run throughout |
| constricted of translucent plastic that harnesses | | | | the house is becoming the common method of |
| the power of the sun and transforms it into the | | | | using solar power. The pipes are painted black and |
| heat and light that plants need. | | | | placed in a type of greenhouse that will absorb |
| This use of the sun is not a modern idea. | | | | the heat from the sun. This helps to keep water |
| Thousands of years ago the Anasazi peoples | | | | hot without having to use electricity. Having the |
| used the same technology in their cliff dwelling | | | | pipes running through each room allows the solar |
| homes. Adobe homes are another example of | | | | power to heat the house in a manner similar to |
| how people have used the power of the sun | | | | radiation heating systems.d. Solar panels - These |
| throughout history. Today this age old technology | | | | are panels placed on the roof of a home to |
| is called passive solar heating. It simply means that | | | | collect the heat from the sun. They are designed |
| the heat from the sun is collected and distributed | | | | to maximize the light and the heat and in so doing |
| throughout a home with using any means of | | | | cut down on fuel costs for the homeowner. |
| pumping it through. | | | | Many countries of the world are beginning to |
| Different methods of solar power | | | | realize the effectiveness of solar power, not just |
| There are several different ways of collecting and | | | | in terms of fuel costs, but also in the fight against |
| using power from the sun for your daily needs:a. | | | | pollution. There are no fumes or pollutants being |
| Photovoltaic roof tiles - These are special tiles that | | | | released into the air with using solar power. |