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Different types of energy:
Fuel Cells
Wind Energy
| Solar Energy - A Clean &
Renewable Source |
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| Solar energy holds the promise of a clean, inexhaustible
source of power. However, its large-scale application will be extremely
difficult due to the nature of solar radiation, in particular its low density
at the earth's surface, and its intermittence. Due to this inadequacy,
photovoltaic connected rooftop installations, rather than in central station
applications that would need huge areas of land, a very limited resource
in Japan.
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Grid-connected 2-kW photovoltaic arrays.
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The Rokko test facility features a total of 200 fixed flat-plate photovoltaic,
or solar, arrays, ranging in output capacity from two kilowatts to five
kilowatts peak, and the same number of power conditioning units (inverters)
to convert the DC output into AC. Fifteen of the arrays are installed on
the south-facing roofs of prefabricated houses, and the remaining 185 are
installed on the ground with support structures. The output of each rooftop
system powers and other electrical appliances located in the house, while
the ground-installed system feeds a simulated load.
Photovoltaic energy conversion
Sunlight is converted directly into electricity through the use of
a solar cell, comprising two thin layers of semiconductor materials, called
n-type
and p-type, each possessing different properties. An electrical
current is produced when sunlight impinges on the semiconductor junction
between n-type and p-type materials. |
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