A key goal in the origination of green design is the whole component of ensuring that designing and constructions captures energy efficiency. In addition energy efficiency is ascertained by making use of environmentally friendly and renewable sources of energy. By far the most familiar generator of energy is the sun, from where we reap solar energy.
The Role Of Solar Energy In Energy Efficiency For Green Buildings
Solar energy is a prime natural renewable energy source due to the fact that it is incident and available for a large part of the year, especially within equatorial nations of the earth. It can supply a major part of the energy requirements for homes or offices for much of the year in these areas especially, and provide a welcome cushion against skyrocketing prices of oil products and such organic fossil fuel energy sources.
In the past, solar energy had a big challenge in that the systems that were available for harnessing the sun’s energy were not very efficient in creation of electrical energy. This means that there was a disparity between the level of power output and the financial outlay required, with only small energy output being achieved from substantial financial investment.
Some of the options available for achieving solar energy efficiency using solar energy
Nevertheless, the technology of solar powered electronic systems has been steadily improving, and we now can get reasonable output of power supply from a relatively inexpensive solar installation. Latest trends in buildings being constructed in East Africa has seen the incorporation of solar panels for the purpose of power supply or heating water. The UN Buildings that were recently completed in Gigiri, Nairobi, has an extensive array of solar panels that line its roofs and supply the building with its electrical energy needs.
Solar panels harness solar energy through their photovoltaic cells. These are the most costly aspect of solar technology as they have a relatively high cost consideration attached to them. Nevertheless despite their high initial cost, these cells are virtually free of maintenance thereafter, short of cleaning and occasional service.It is important to always view solar installations in the light of their life cycle cost when comparing it to the cost of energy that is supplied by conventional means through the national grid. The capital expense of installation of these panels may seem high, but the fact that they are able to provide power output almost continually thereafter with little recurrent expenditure on electric power means that they are able to be quite viable. Their low maintenance and recurrent expenditure means that they are able to repay their initial cost relatively quickly, and overally lift up the level of viability of the sustainable building.
Solar energy is commonly used for the purpose of heating water using the sun’s energy. There is great need for hot water within the home and the workplace, as basic needs such as cooking, washing and cleaning take place using heated water. Industrial functions such as manufacturing concerns often use heated water for their processes. It should be noted however that heating water is an energy intensive affair and can raise the cost of energy consumption drastically. However solar water heating provides a cost effective alternative of dealing with the same.
These solar water heating devices are great for warming water through the use of the sun’s energy. They work by warming water flowing through them and storing them in hot water tanks, from where they are circulated into the building. Usually they are installed where they can receive maximum exposure to the sun’s rays such as on roofs and external surfaces. A normal solar powered system comes with solar panels accompanied with a system of inverters and batteries for storing harvested power. The inverters convert the power received from the the solar panels, which is then stored in batteries. This energy can then be used in the evening when the sun goes down. One may note that the full power load of a home may be too substantial for it to be fully supported on solar energy, as the financial outlay to provide panels that will support the full electrical load of a home may be too high for an ordinary household. That notwithstanding, a middle ground can be reached by having solar energy supplying power to the most essential appliances in the home, such as the refrigerator and lighting system.
Solar energy as a renewable source of energy can in this way assist to implement energy efficiency in sustainable buildings.
