LPM 121: Fodder Production and Grassland Management (1+1)

SOLAR ENERGY

• Sun is the biggest fusion reactor known to mankind which supplies to the earthy daily about 10,000 times energy needed by the world population.
• Apart from being the source of life, sun happens to be the source of all energy except nuclear energy and geothermal energy. Sun radiates energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation.
• In order to obtain solar energy, a dark surface is exposed to solar radiation so that radiation is absorbed. A part of the absorbed radiation is then transferred to a fluid or air.

Collection of solar radiation

Collection of solar radiation can be done in three ways :

• By flat plate collector.
• Focussing or Concentrating collector
• Photovoltaic cell.

Application of solar energy

• Solar water heating
• Space heating
• Space cooling
• Thermal electric conversion
• Photovoltaic electric conversion
• Solar distillation
• Solar pumping
• Agricultural and Industrial process heat
• Solar furnace
• Solar cooking
• Solar production of hydrogen
• Solar green house