Among all the forms of renewable energy, the use of solar power has gained greater success. Sunlight is abundant and contains enormous possibilities to create a bright future.
By developing solar technology, new dimensions of power consumption are raised. It’s not only eco-friendly but can be easily useable.
Recently, outstanding innovations in solar energy have opened new horizons. Solar energy can work in every sector of our day-to-day life. Such as:
- Uses of solar energy in homes
- Outdoor usage of solar power
- Commercial usage of solar power
- Use of solar power in transportation
- Use of solar power for recreational purposes
Let’s Dive into the main topic and discuss What Are The 7 Most Common Uses of Solar Energy in the World?
Seven Most Common Uses of Solar Energy in Daily Life
Solar energy has been used for centuries. But advanced scientific methods allow us to use solar energy more today than ever. Here is the seven most common uses of solar energy that is common now:
Solar Electricity: Solar energy is probably mostly used to generate electricity. PV cells allow us to generate electricity from sunlight.
It is cheaper and renewable too. Not only can it power your house, but it can also store power in batteries without any extra cost.
All you need is a few PV cell panels, batteries, cables, converters, etc. and forget about power supply for at least 25-30 years.
Solar Lighting: Solar energy is very commonly used for lighting today. In many countries, even government lighting establishments such as street lights and others use by solar energy. The method is secure, use PV cells to generate and store electricity the whole daytime and use it to power the lights at night.
Solar water heating: Solar energy can also work to heat water in your house. Simply install heating cells on the rooftop and connect with the house water tank. You can always add regulators to maintain the temperature. The southern and southwestern American territories use solar energy to heat the swimming pool.
Solar ventilation: The solar ventilation process uses attic fans to control the airflow inside of the house. This is an excellent way to maintain cooling house temperature if you want to preserve electricity. Attic fans are prevalent commercially.
Solar heating: Solar heating is top-rated in colder territories of the countries where people need warmth to comfort themselves. Solar radiation is abundant and can be used to heat room temperature using forced hot air or FHA techniques.
Solar transportation: Solar energy even works for mobilizing your life. Multiple shipments are running on solar energy in different countries. In China, solar-powered mass transports are already working.
They use solar energy to power their engines. This type of transportation is getting very popular in other Asian countries.
Also, other mass transportation such as buses, trains, and taxis are undergoing tests to launch them publicly. In 2019, a fully solar-powered car was demonstrated in Japan.
Portable solar: The use of solar energy is already a popular choice among people; the challenge is how to make the equipment portable.
Various devices are now offering portability, such as phone chargers, solar watches, calculators, etc., and more are in the testing phase. Even the concept of solar fabric is now a decade old to make you glow with your outfit.
Why is Solar Energy Used in Daily Life?
The uses of solar energy focuses mainly on creating a sustainable source of energy. People need lots of power in their daily lives and work.
A few decades ago, the prime source of energy was fossil fuel. But fossil fuel is not renewable; it will finish one day. But solar power is almost unlimited, renewable, environment-friendly, and cheap.
So there are plenty of reasons why solar energy should be used instead of traditional fuel sources. The sun is the source of energy for every lifeform on earth, and it will provide power as long as it is alive. The heat is already around us; we only have to harness it and apply to our cause.
Let us now briefly discuss each of the points included in the list of usage of solar energy.
Commercial Uses of Solar Energy
Commercial use of solar energy mainly involves in producing electricity for different business sectors. Let us look at some everyday use of commercial use of solar energy at the retail level.
- Solar energy for commercial plants: Solar energy can most often work in industrial plants such as power plants, production sites, office buildings, etc. Mostly they are used to generate electricity for small uses and, in some cases, to maintain temperature using thermostats.
- Solar energy for remote areas: Solar energy may gain the most prominent use in remote areas where the grid system is hard to get or even in some cases, absent. Often various companies go to remote areas for survey purposes. In there, solar energy can be of great use.
- Mercantile uses of solar energy: Solar energy is now a well-established plan for mercantile purposes such as malls and shops, car washes, gas stations, etc. Many hotel business plans are soon introducing the use of solar energy to provide the movers’ exotic feeling.
- Thermal use of solar energy: solar energy can use as a thermal source for the dairy businesses for pressurization, sterilization, drying, concentration, etc. In textile industries, solar energy can use for dyeing, bleaching, pressing, etc. But mostly solar can be used in chemical and plastic industries for thermal demand.
- Use of solar energy for commercial research purposes: Like solar energy itself is becoming a potential industry, various research held to evolve and enhance future use of solar energy. These researches are inventing new sectors for solar energy to be used.
The Uses of Solar Energy at Home
Solar energy is very commonly used for homes nowadays. It serves many various purposes for your house. Such as
- powering the house with PV cells is the most common uses of solar energy at home. So you can say goodbye to grid system power and produce your electricity. Refrigerators, air conditioners, TVs, house lights, and all other home appliances can run on solar electricity.
- Solar energy works to maintain house temperature by using solar house heating equipment on cold days. Say no to old fireplaces where you have to burn coal and emit smoke. Just sit on the chair, turn on the thermostat, and enjoy the warmth on cold days.
- You can also heat your house’s water supply to comfort you in your swimming pool or even in your tub.
- You can store power in batteries by using PV cells without paying any extra penny.
- Solar energy can even use for cooking. Many cold solar stoves can work at stores or make one at home with readily available equipment.
Outdoor Use of Solar Energy
Solar energy has more usage in outdoor than indoor. Such as:
- Using solar electricity to light your garden has many perks. Your garden will get an edge of beauty than the rest of your neighbours, which may even make them envy you. But you also have to pay extra cash for the electricity bill. Isn’t that great?
- You may also build a solar carport where you can park and maintain your car. It can even be as useful as a fully equipped porch, with no need for grid electricity as it has solar power. The solar carport is getting popular every day, leaving behind old-fashioned parking lots.
- Solar power can also use for irrigation. Irrigation refers to water management systems for crops. Water pumps can use solar energy to run and irrigate lands. Just like solar electricity, install PV cells and connect them to solar water pumps, and you will never have to pay for fuel to irrigate your land.
- The electric fence can provide better security for your house and fields. But it is not cheap since you have to keep the electricity on. But in the solar fence, there is no need for that. Just install solar chargers for the fence and forget.
- Just like the swimming pools at home, public swimming pools can also use solar water heating equipment to provide comfy warm water to customers.
Solar Energy Uses For Recreational Purposes
Solar energy widely works for recreational purposes. Such as:
- Solar energy for camping: Camping mainly involves enjoying nature. But we cannot forget our phones, laptops and other gear as they are attached to our life integrally. Solar energy can provide power to run them while enjoying camping. Solar cells and solar generators are commonly available for that purpose.
- Solar energy for RV: New generations of recreation vehicles tend to use solar energy as a source of power. They usually come with total applicability for small refrigerators, air coolers, fans and lighting, and other devices designed for RVs.
Uses Of Solar Energy in Transportation: Solar Transportations
- Various transportation is running on solar energy in different countries. In China, solar-powered mass transports are already working. They use solar energy to power their engines. This type of transportation is getting very popular in other Asian countries.
- Also, other mass transportation such as buses, trains, and taxis are undergoing tests to launch them publicly.
- In 2019, Mitsubishi Motors demonstrated a fully solar-powered car in Japan.
- Solar energy can also be an external power source for the airline industry. This may benefit them by reducing conventional battery-based power to lessen costs and increase profitability.
- Solar bikes are good bicycles with solar panels to help you power up your devices while enjoying a bike ride.
Here is a list of usage of solar energy in the past
- Use of solar energy to heat houses at night
- Use of sunlight to create fire by mirrors and glasses.
- Use of solar energy to boil and heat water
- Use of solar energy to light up torches for religious ceremonies.
- Use of solar energy in ancient medical treatments and medicine making,
List of use of solar energy in the present
- To create electricity
- To maintain room temperature
- To heat up and boil water
- To light up streets
- In space and related research
- In various industries
- In transportations
- In recreational activities.
Future of solar energy
- May provide more efficient power generation systems for homes
- Can be used to power industrial sites fully.
- May wholly replace conational fossil fuel.
- May use as clothing in the form of solar fabric.
Conclusion
Solar energy is already seeing its golden days for development and is expected to exceed very soon. But the real challenge is providing valuable information to people so the industry can grow steadily.
Even today, many people who know about solar technologies are not very interested in applying them because of a lack of proper information. So it is as imperative to inform people about them to invent efficient technologies and their use.