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Solar Energy Risks To Health
Author: Anna Hart
Solar energy health risks are seldom mentioned. That may be partially due to the limited use of this source of energy. It may also be due to the lack of research in this area. Some have begun to study solar energy health risks, however, and if one researches long enough, a few estimates are available.
Thermal Solar Energy Health Risks
Solar energy health risks are inherent to the design and installation of most thermal energy systems. These are the systems designed to heat water and air for household use.
Solar water heaters complete three basic operations before delivering hot water to your faucet or your heating unit:
1. collect sunlight and convert it into heat energy.
2. circulate fluids that transfer the heat energy to a storage unit
3. store the hot water until you need it
The solar energy health risks with such a system usually occur in the storage units. Some units allow for the growth of allergenic molds and fungi.
If proper materials are used for the storage unit, however, these solar energy systems present few, if any, health risks. Their advantages are that they are far safer than most fossil fuels or nuclear power - they have no emissions and do not pollute the air.
PV Panel Solar Energy Health Risks
The solar energy health risks associated with photovoltaic (PV) panels occurs before the panels are put into use on the consumer's home. PV panels are the panels used to collect solar energy from sunlight and convert it into usable electricity.
The manufacture of PV panels requires the use of toxic materials. Silicon dioxide is mined from sand or quartzite and reduced with heat to pure silicon. Materials released during refining are the main health risks. Several steps in forming the photovoltaic cells utilize toxic materials. These are sprayed on the cells, and can readily be inhaled.
It is estimated that solar energy health risks associated with producing PV panels per unit energy may be between 11 and 21 deaths per quadrillion joules of energy produced.
Solar energy health risks from PV panels are very slight once the panels are produced and installed on the consumer's home. This type of solar energy is known for reliability and low maintenance. The home owner seldom needs to be involved in any repairs, and thereby cuts solar energy health risks.
Passive Solar Energy Health Risks
Passive solar energy provides safety and health. A new building that maximizes this technology can reduce energy costs by nearly one half. How?
1. Warming indoor air in a house through vertical, slanted windows facing the sun. The windows capture maximum solar energy from the sunlight.
2. Collecting solar energy in adobe or stone walls and floors, and then releasing it into the air as the temperature falls.
3. Collecting solar energy in a sun space, much like a greenhouse built on the sunny side of the home. This heat is sent into the home with proper ventilation.
4. Holding water in black roof tanks until needed, cutting the working time of the home's hot water heater.
5. Using clerestories - rows of windows near roof peaks that catch sunlight and bounce it through the building. The sunlight reduces the need for electric lights.
In Summary
Solar energy technologies present few, if any, health risks for the end user. Their use can reduce the health risks presented by other energy sources, providing cleaner, safer, more cost effective energy.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/computers-articles/solar-energy-risks-to-health-169616.html
About the Author
© 2007, Anna Hart. Anna Hart, a career educator and researcher, invites you to read more of her articles about solar energy at http://www.solar-energy-connection.com. Anna has also posted articles on that site about solar homes. If you would like information about acquiring a solar home building grant, visit Anna now.
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What are some of the problems of harnessing solar energy in Canada?
one of the problems in using solar energy is that it is difficult to (store/heat.)?
one of the problems in using solar energy is that it is difficult to (store/heat.)
What are some problems that solar energy solves besides global warming?
i am writing a paper and i need two problems my issue solves. I already did one on global warming so now i need another one. Thanks ;]
What are the enviromental problems involving Solar Energy and what is an idea of the cost?
What enviromental problems are caused by Solar Energy and what is the idea for the cost of say, one solar panel?
What are the problems for having solar energy from being used everywhere?
using it for electrical power
The pros of solar energy are abundant; here are a few from Natural Home magazine. Solar power can be ties to a grid or stand alone and it increases the home’s value. Not only does it have moveable parts, but also emits no waste. There are tax incentives that are widely available and experienced installers readily available nationwide.
A few of the disadvantages of solar power are trees, and location. If you or your neighbors have mature trees that shade your roof, solar power panels may be difficult.
I came accross a new, proven and tested home made wind power system and solar power system which eliminates our electricity bills. It was written by a Renewable energy enthusiasts Michael Harvey the diy called Earth4energy. You can get your copy to save energy and help environment while eliminating your power bills. Get it from here:
http://how-to-build-cheap-solar-energy.blogspot.com/
Air pollution.
We get a lot of energy from fossil fuels (most of our energy), and so it can stop mining of coal from the ground which puts a bunch of debris/acidic chemicals in rivers and destroys large mountains of land and reduces them into flat fields. It stops us from putting ugly oil wells up which can spill black tar stuff all over if it breaks/if there is an oil spill which kills a bunch of life while leaving black sticky gunk everywhere (but of course that looks much better than a bunch of solar panels on a area right? *sarcastic response to the other answer*). And it reduces the pollution that is pumped into the air from the burning of fossil fuels (like carbon monoxide, CO2, sulfur/mercury (in coal mostly) ).
The Southernmost point of Canada is at a latitude of about 41° 42′. During Winter Solstice a solar panel at this latitude must be inclined 65° 12′ to be normal to the Sun’s rays at noon to get the maximum benefit of solar radiation. If the solar panels are fixed in a Southern orientation the maximum radiation available to them is (2/π)(1252 J/m^2)(43,200s) per day, or 34,432 kJ/m^2/da, provided it is clear all day..
The second problem is the number of clear days per year, which gets smaller the farther North you go.
Problem #3 is that you never have solar power when you need it most. This necessitates a reservoir or battery system.
Latitude again presents a problem in that the average annual temperature at 42° N is about 55°F, and drops considerably as you go North.
It can easily be stored, just not very efficiently or cheaply.
e.g. it can be used during the day to pump water up a hill to a reservoir, then released at night through turbines (this technique is already used in the electricity grid to store energy to service peak loads).
Of course, you lose energy in the pumping, in friction in the pipe, in evaporation at the top reservoir, and also lose energy back through the turbine.
Please rephrase the question: it has no meaning as stated.