Solar Water Distillers

Water is the most precious resource in the desert, and the desert makes up most of Mexico. There are no wells in communities so rainwater is collected in deposits. This rainwater is not safe to drink, and so families need to boil the water using wood fires. A solar water distiller can provide safe drinking water, so there is no longer a need to boil water. The distiller is basically a box in which water is evaporated and collected. The distiller is expected to last many years. Distillers can provide better quality water while reducing the work involved and the health and environmental impacts of burning wood.

Battery-less Flashlights

Flashlights are used sparingly in Mexico because batteries are so expensive. One alternative is a durable, long-lasting flashlight that does not use batteries. This kind of flashlight gets power just by shaking it (the LED bulb lasts a long time and they are sealed and waterproof).

Solar "Hot Pot" Ovens

Solar ovens are really cool and cheap. Solar ovens are a great alternative to cooking over traditional wood fires. The hot pot can be left outside during daylight hours to cook many different types of food. It saves people energy, since they don't need to get wood. Other benefits are that it doesn’t have as much of an environmental impact, and it reduces the exposure of women and children to smoke.

Why we use Solar Energy ?

Solar energy is a great alternative source of power. Solar panels may be expensive but in the long run they are better for two reasons. One, they lower the electricity and heating bills. Two, they are better for people and the environment because they don’t pollute the air like the burning of fossil fuels.Let’s look at this a different way to see why you should use solar energy. Even though using solar energy can be more expensive than burning fossil fuels, it is clean and sunlight is easily available. Also, you may not realize it but lots of everyday things use solar energy. Things like lights in the yard, calculators, and even cars. The Nuna 3 is a race car made by the Dutch Nuna team. It is completely powered by solar energy.

What is Solar Energy ?

During photovoltaic conversion, solar energy is collected through panels, called solar panels. Solar panels are covered with large modules which are covered with lots of little PV cells, or photovoltaic cells. The PV cells collect the light from the sun. Once the light is inside a PV cell. A photon is a particle of solar energy. Within the semiconductor, energy of the photons shifts to the electrons. This energizes the electrons. Then the electrons break out of the semiconductor to get to the silicone atoms. Then they flow into the electric current. Usually a solar cell is made of a glass protective layer, an anti-reflective coat, and electric contacts. We use PV cell systems every day. Common tools like watches and calculators are powered with PV systems. Look at the top of a calculator. Do you see the little squares at the top? Those are lots of little PV cells. Usually PV cells don’t generate much electricity. PV cells generate about ½ a volt per square decimeter. A solar panel making fifty watts of electricity is about four decimeters by ten decimeters. What if you don’t know how much energy your appliance or machine needs? Well, the answer is easy.

Southampton airport gets solar-powered runway lights

Solar-powered lighting has been installed alongside Southampton Airport's runway.

Nick-named "Wig Wags" the flashing lights cost £25,000 in total and are used at junctions between the runway and taxiways.

Southampton is the first UK airport to install the lights which are also used by the US Air Force in Afghanistan.

An airport spokesperson said: "We've been able to minimise the environmental footprint and maintenance costs."

Solar energy

The five units, supplied by Systems Interface Ltd in Surrey, use solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity and ensure the lights operate 24 hours a day.

Their batteries can store enough energy to permanently operate the lights for up to 120 days without any solar charging.

The lights have also been installed in areas of the airport where there is no access to power supplies, saving the £170,000 cost of laying cables.

They were trialled during last winter as replacements for the conventional lighting systems.
Mark Gibb, director of airside operations admitted: "It's a drop in the ocean, but nonetheless it is part of our overall commitment to, wherever possible, identify possibilities to reduce carbon emissions.

"This is one small but important example of using new, innovative technology."

The airport has a target of cutting electricity use by 2.5% throughout 2010.

Mr Gibb added the airport would look at replacing actual runway lights with solar powered models when they come for up for renewal.

Solar Power

Solar power is produced by collecting sunlight and converting it into electricity. This is done by using solar panels, which are large flat panels made up of many individual solar cells. It is most often used in remote locations, although it is becoming more popular in urban areas as well. This page contains articles that explore advances in solar energy technology.In a market-friendly scenario, Nano solar claims to be able to produce electricity at 5-6 cents/kilowatt hour almost as cheap as power from coal and at about one-third the cost of other solar power. Nano solar claims: Nano solar claims mass production of solar power will now become feasible with their differently manufactured solar panels. Conventional silicon-made solar panels have a stiff competitor from CIGS semiconductor printed solar panels - composed of copper, gallium, indium and selenium - which perform as good as conventional solar panels in lab conditions. An inexpensive printing process makes it ideal for mass production by an automated facility with robots and other hi-fi equipment.