Solar System

Examples of Solar System in the following topics:

• Satellites

  • Artificial satellites (see ) are man made objects put in orbit about the Earth or another planet in the Solar System.
  • The large gas giants have extensive systems of natural satellites, including half a dozen comparable in size to Earth's Moon: the four Galilean moons, Saturn's Titan, and Neptune's Triton.
  • The Earth–Moon system is unique in that the ratio of the mass of the Moon to the mass of the Earth is much greater than that of any other natural satellite to planet ratio in the Solar System.
  • The seven largest natural satellites in the Solar System (those bigger than 2,500 km across) are Jupiter's Galilean moons (Ganymede, Callisto, Io, and Europa), Saturn's moon Titan, Earth's moon, and Neptune's captured natural satellite Triton.

• Solar power

  • Before payback occurs, solar power is often considered one of the more expensive sustainable energy options available.
  • Power from the first solar cells, for example, cost about $200 per watt.
  • Electricity produced from solar power is now so competitive that in some cases it's actually cheaper to use solar cells than conventionally produced electricity (isolated street lamps, emergency phones on highways, and electrical systems in remote communities are cheaper to operate with solar power when one takes into account the cost of installing long distance electrical transmission lines).
  • Also, once again, after payback occurs, electricity from solar power is virtually free.
  • Indeed, in situations where solar power costs are greater than conventionally produced electricity, solar voltaics can pay for themselves in a relatively short period of time.

• New Energy Sources

  • New renewables (small hydro, modern biomass, wind, solar, geothermal, and biofuels) account for another 3% and are growing very rapidly.
  • Since 2004, photovoltaics (solar cells) surpassed wind as the fastest growing energy source, and since 2007, the use of solar power has more than doubled every two years.
  • In addition, solar thermal power stations, which are power plants that generate electricity from the heat of the sun's rays, operate in the USA and Spain.
  • As of 2011, small solar PV systems provide electricity to a few million households, and micro-hydroelectricity plants configured into mini-grids serve many more.
  • According to a 2011 projection by the International Energy Agency, solar power generators may produce most of the world's electricity within 50 years, dramatically reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases that harm the environment.

• Green Architecture: The Future of Architecture

  • Heating, ventilation, and air condition (or HVAC) system efficiency can greatly increase the sustainability of a building.
  • Active solar devices such as photovoltaic solar panels help to provide sustainable electricity for any use.
  • Electrical output of a solar panel is dependent on orientation, efficiency, latitude, and climate—solar gain varies even at the same latitude.
  • Passive solar design varies based on climate.
  • Other ways to incorporate renewable energy include wind turbines or smaller wind systems, solar water heaters, and ground-source heaters.

• The Classical Period of the Maya

  • The Maya developed a mathematical system that is strikingly similar to the Olmec traditions.
  • The Maya also linked this complex system to the deity Itzamna.
  • This calendar round would take 52 solar years to return to the original first date.
  • The solar calendar (Haab') is very similar to the modern solar calendar year that uses the earth's orbit around the sun to measure time.
  • When the Tzolkin and Haab' calendar's are combined they create a 52-year solar calendar.

• "So What?"

  • Imagine that you are revising your solar energy essay with an audience of environmentalists in mind.
  • Solar energy is significantly more efficient than wind power per kilowatt-hour. "
  • Solar energy can meet more of our energy needs than wind power, so every dollar we invest in solar energy reduces our need to use fossil fuels more than a dollar invested in wind power does. "
  • The properties of water at the nanoscale are crucial in many areas of biology, but the confinement of water molecules in sub-nanometre channels in biological systems has received relatively little attention.
  • Advances in nanotechnology make it possible to explore the role played by water molecules in living systems, potentially leading to the development of ultrasensitive biosensors (Mertens, J., et al., 2008).

• Solar cell facts

  • Solar cells do not require direct sunlight to operate.
  • Solar energy offers a one-time capital expense.
  • Solar cells last a long time.
  • Many solar cells produced in the 1970s still function to this day.
  • Lab testing has shown that under the right conditions solar cells can last up to 40 years or more (although the energy output of solar voltaics usually decreases over time).

• Energy Policy

  • Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and scientists are more than 90% certain that it is primarily caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases produced by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation.
  • Incoming solar radiation to the Earth equals 341 watts per square meter (Trenberth et al., 2009).
  • Some of the solar radiation is reflected back from the Earth by clouds, the atmosphere, and the Earth's surface (102 watts per square meter).
  • Some of the solar radiation passes through the atmosphere.
  • About half of the solar radiation is absorbed by the Earth's surface (161 watts per square meter).

• Effects of Aging on the Integumentary System

  • Intrinsic and extrinsic aging describe cutaneous aging of the integumentary system primarily involving the dermis.
  • Intrinsic aging and extrinsic aging are terms used to describe cutaneous aging of the skin and other parts of the integumentary system.
  • It is defined as cutaneous damage caused by chronic exposure to solar radiation and is associated with emergence of neoplastic (cancer) lesions.
  • A validated comprehensive grading scale has categorized the clinical findings of skin aging as laxity (sagging), rhytids (wrinkles), and the various facets of photoaging, including erythema/telangiectasia (redness), dyspigmentation (brown discoloration), solar elastosis (yellowing), keratoses (abnormal growths), and poor texture.

• Are solar voltaics right for your business?

  • If your organization can afford to buy several years of its power in advance while awaiting payback, and if your business is situated in a location that receives adequate sunlight then, yes, solar power may be right for business.
  • For example, calculations for concentrated solar power, which uses mirrors to concentrate sunlight onto a fluid-filled container to produce steam that drives a turbine, is cost-equivalent to oil priced at $50 per barrel (before payback) – or as low as $20 per barrel (before payback) when the technology is scaled up.
  • (Seager, Ashley, ‘Alternative Fuels: Now It's a New Game and Clean Energy is No Longer a Dream', The Guardian) For more information about solar power visit www.solarserver.de and click on the English translation icon at the top of the home page.