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Solar-Powered Cars vs. Gas-Powered Cars

Saving the environment and minimizing the effects of global warming remains a daunting task even today. More and more people have been turning to renewable energy, and sources such as geothermal, wind, and solar have seen a significant rise in usage. Even here in the Philippines – where solar panel prices remain viable – renewable energy has established itself as the solid go-to alternative. Solar especially, considering the Philippines is a tropical country with sunlight in spades.

However, solar panels are not solely used for home power. Nowadays, technologies are being developed so it can replace the role of gas in your cars and vehicles. In fact, solar-powered cars are being refined so that it may eventually compete with the cars of today. Those that are powered by fossil fuels, in particular.

Gasoline-Powered Cars

Gasoline is being used to power vast quantity of internal combustion engines throughout the world in various industries particularly the transport sector. Several grades of octane rating produce gasoline. It is known to contain benzene and other carcinogens.

Today, most cars are being powered by gasoline and petrol. Diesel is one of the most commonly used gasoline to power a vehicle, as designed by car manufacturers from across the world. Unfortunately, both these fuels are causing air pollution and directly being blamed for contributing to global warming and climate change. One specific negative cause of these emissions is smog, which can be seen in places that uses high amounts of fuel like China.

The need for a more environment-friendly car has been expressed due to the dangers being brought by the harmful effects of petrol and gasoline. Currently, several vehicles have been manufactured using alternative fuels like ethanol and natural gas in order to answer this need.

Solar-Powered Cars

Makers of solar cars combine the technology being used in the automotive, alternative energy, bicycle, and aerospace industries.

Furthermore, these vehicles highly depend on a solar array which utilizes photovoltaic cells to be able to convert the light coming from the sun into electricity.

There are different kinds of solar arrays which can be used on a car; they include horizontal, vertical, adjustable, integrated, trailer, and remote. An optimization between vehicle mass, aerodynamic resistance, power output, and practical considerations need to be considered in choosing the solar array geometry.

More is being done for the development of solar arrays in the future. For example, they are being made to be thinner and more flexible.

Other solar-powered cars are using gallium arsenide solar cells or silicon solar cells instead of solar arrays.

Examples of Solar-Powered Cars

Most solar-powered cars today have been built and invented for the purpose of various solar car races around the world; although, there are some of them which have been designed for public use.

Solar Spirit 3, Solar Spirit 3, PowerCore SunCruiser, SolarWorld GT, PowerCore SunCruiser, Kaiton II, OWL, Stella, Stella Lux, UltraCommuter, and Apollo Solar Car Team are only a few examples of the solar cars from all over the world today.

It is true that only a small part of this technology have been made available for public and commercial use but this is a mark of what is to come in the future. After all, solar is a much cheaper option compared to gasoline.

How Strong is the Sun?

In the Philippines, solar panel installations are not uncommon. With the sun’s ever present energy beaming down on to the country on a near daily basis, it’s a truly viable option for renewable power that many have now taken up.

That may lead one to wonder as to the true power of the sun. So, how strong is it, really?

General information

Even in science’s early years, the sun has always been pegged as a prominent feature of our solar system. In fact, that’s not far from the truth – we can prove today that the sun does compose a whopping 99.8% of our solar system. Comprised of 70% hydrogen and 28% helium, among other elements, the sun is a truly central attribute of the space around us.

So much so that many stories, legends, and myths – most of which can be dated back to centuries before – have been created with it as the catalyst for all life. That’s not far from the truth, either, as the sun is has been a source of human power – one way or another – for a very, very long time.

The Power of the Sun

The core of the sun is an extreme environment, with temperatures reaching up to 15.6 million Kelvin (27M °F or 15M °C) and a pressure of 250 billion atmospheres. The power of the sun is around 386 billion mega Watts, formed by nuclear fusion reactions. Its energy is also made out of 5,000,000 tons of gamma rays where each second 700,000,000 tons of hydrogen gas are then turned into 695,000,000 tons of helium.

The Parts of the Sun

There are three major parts of the sun: namely the photosphere, chromosphere, and the corona. All have different ranges of temperatures because of its distance and placement in the sun’s structure.

Photosphere – this is the area where the sun’s radiation is seen as sunlight, with a temperature of around 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit or 5,500 degrees Celsius. The sunspots are darker and cooler; their temperature lingers at about 7,000 degrees Fahrenheit or 4,000 degrees Celsius.
Chromosphere – light from chromosphere isn’t that strong, but can be seen as a red rim during solar eclipses. The temperature here is about 7,800 degrees Fahrenheit or 4,320 degrees Celsius.
Corona – temperature is the highest in the corona, with it reaching scorching temperatures of 3.5 million degrees Fahrenheit or 2 million degrees Celsius. It is visible during solar eclipses as a plasma stream shaped like a crown.

The Sun’s Age

It stands at the old age of 4.5 billion years old, with only temperature changes to show for its age. The general estimate for its lifespan is 5 billion, and once it reaches that point, it will have lost all of its hydrogen fuel and, as a result, self-destruct from it. It will become such a powerful event that it is highly likely to impact the Earth. Even its position as the third planet from the Sun will not save it from burning when the time comes.

On-Grid/Off-Grid Systems Suitable For Your Home

Many people have now made the choice to adopt solar energy in the Philippines due to the abundance of sunlight all over the country, making it an extremely viable choice when it comes down to it. Not only is it efficient, but using it also helps in the world’s efforts in mitigating the effects of climate change.

When adopting this kind of technology, though, keep in mind that it can come in three kinds: grid-tied, hybrid, and off-grid. Take your needs into consideration before choosing which one you’d rather go with.

Take a look at their differences in the article below:

Off-grid

Off grid systems are those that can stand alone. To be able to have electricity all the time, off grid solar systems should be connected to batteries that store the power, or in case of an emergency, a backup generator. In order to keep the system in good condition, battery banks that store the power harvested from the sun should be replaced every ten years. Aside from batteries, you are also going to need charge controllers, which will control the current of electricity going to the batteries and prevent them from overcharging. When the sun sets, you’ll be running on the power stored in the batteries.

Grid-tied

Grid-tied means that when you install your PV system, you use the electricity generated from the PV system in the day, but use the electricity from national grid at night. When your or any other homeowner’s PV system generates more electricity that you consume, some utility companies buy that electricity. Better that that let it go to waste, and better sell it than store it in batteries that you’ll have to replace every ten years.

One of the good things about being tied to the grid is that if your PV systems fail, you have back up and your house will immediately switch to consuming electricity from the national grid. This prevents any sudden interruption of power.

One of the other things you’ll need for this PV system is a solar inverter or grid-tie inverter. These regulate the current you receive from your solar panels by converting the direct current your solar panels generate into alternating current which is what electrical appliances utilize.

Hybrid

Hybrid means that you both have batteries to store your power in like off-grid systems, but you are also connected to the national grid. However, you don’t have a backup generator because you’re already connected to the national grid. If your PV system generates more than you consume, the power is stored in the batteries, or you can put it on the grid and sell it. You can also program your home to get off your PV system or the grid during off-peak hours.

You’re going to need most of the components for the off-grid and grid-tied for the hybrid except for the generator.

The type of system you want to install is ultimately up to you. So which kind of system do you think is perfect for your home? Either way, investing in green tech is never a bad idea.

4 Cool Solar Powered Gadgets

Solar power is known to provide cleaner and more sustainable electricity. Based on the increasing number of solar powered objects in the market, it is obvious that its popularity is growing. In fact, there are establishments that use solar panels in the Philippines and all over the world. It might be a good time for you to start using solar power in your house as well. Listed below are 4 devices that will help reduce your power bill and reliance on fossil fuels:

Solar Powered Flashlight

A solar powered flashlight is extremely helpful especially if you don’t have spare batteries nearby. All you need to do is charge the flashlight under the sun for a few hours—depending on the instruction of the product—and then you can use it the minute there is a power outage in your neighborhood. Truth be told, you may find having a solar powered flashlight better than a battery-powered one.

Solar Powered Charger

More and more people are discovering the perks of having a solar powered charger. Since it can be charged under the sun, you can simply leave it by the window sill or any sunny spot in your house. There are chargers that can store up to 5,000 mAh and most phone batteries are approximately 1,800 mAh. This means you can have 2 full charges from a single solar charge.

Solar Powered Backpack

There are a few companies who are making solar backpacks. Although they are rather costly, these backpacks come in simple colors, clean lines and an unobtrusive solar panel. They might not look too stylish but they do have a lot of perks. You can charge your phone, tablet, camera or any electronic device while simply walking around in the sun. They may look a little dorky but you can carry many things in these packs.

Solar Powered Cars

While it is not a gadget per se, these cars contain sports roof-top solar panels that concentrate solar power and provide hybrid plug-in benefits. The first solar powered car in the Philippines is called “Sinag”. It was inaugurated on January 27, 2007 at NBC Tent, Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Solar powered cars are not commercially available but if the solar trend catches on, these vehicles may be ruling the highway before we know it.

Saving money is not the only goal of using solar power. It’s also about changing the world by supporting solar energy producers so it shows that solar is important to consumers as well.

Using solar power isn’t all about saving money. It’s also about changing the world by supporting solar energy producers and showing the government and power providers that solar is important to consumers. Some solar powered items may be expensive but that does not mean you can’t start powering your home with solar energy. If you have the devices above, you can charge your phone and gadgets, light up the dark, listen to music, and carry around your things with solar power. That is a great first step to a cleaner world.