Posted Monday, December 17, 2018

Four Unique Uses of Solar Energy

Solar panels on the rooftops of homes for energy use are becoming more and more common to see all over the world. However, rooftops are just one of the thousands of different places where they help to generate power. As the cost continues to drop and energy production rises, expect to see a lot more places with solar technology being used. Below you’ll find four unique uses for solar power.

Solar Windows

One of the newer solar energy uses would be solar electric window technologies. These windows allow the visible light to shine through the glass of the windows while also collecting the invisible rays that are contained in the sun and then transforms this into electricity. Even though this application is still in the beginning stages, one company is beginning to work with SunShot to help make this technology more practical for even larger sheets of glass. With larger windows, this type of energy creation can then be used in commercial buildings and not just in homes.

Solar Powered Car Surfaces

Even though there are charging stations that are powered by the sun for electric vehicles in a variety of different US cities, technology is starting to make its way right into the body of some cars. As far back as 2010, the Prius featured a solar energy panel on the roof. Even though it didn’t help to power the car, it did help the climate control system of the car. There is an updated version of this car that will have a solar panel that will be directly attached to the battery of the car. This will increase the efficiency and reliability of the entire electrical system of the car.

Vaccine Refrigerators

Electricity in a lot of countries is not always a 24-hour guarantee and in a lot of cases, there is no electrical grid at all for energy. Infrastructure is so poor in some places that chronic power outages happen on a daily basis. Because of this, there are some private companies that have been making solar-powered vaccine refrigerators. This enables healthcare workers in very remote areas can give out life-saving vaccines. As new as this might sound like something new, this solar energy technology has been around for over 40 years and saving many lives because of it.

Smart Solar Cities

Currently, you’ll find solar powered streetlights being used in many different urban areas. The sun will charge a solar energy battery during the day which in turn helps to light the streetlights at night. Streetlights in many smart solar cities are utilizing light emitting diodes or LEDs which shine brightly at night. Some places like San Diego are using their streetlights to help to optimize their infrastructure. This initiative is incorporating smart sensors into streetlights that have a unique ability to direct drivers to open parking spaces and to also help first responders during emergencies. This system combines internet linked sensors with the solar-powered streetlights which save money and time.

If you’ve been considering solar power for your home or business but not sure where to start, please contact us today and we’d be more than happy to answer all of your important questions!