Solar Panels - Renewable Energy Technologies in Agriculture

jazzynfo | Feb 15, 2010 |

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Solar energy uses the sun's light to provide heat, hot water, light, electricity and cooling for home, businesses and industrial units. Solar energy has made big strides in its applications in the agricultural sector and this article focuses on a broad overview of these applications. In agriculture, solar panels supply and supplement many of the energy requirements for farms.

Crop drying: making use of the sun to dry crops dates back centuries and is probably the oldest application of solar energy. A simple, inexpensive and uncomplicated method of drying the crops; in days gone by crops were spread out and allowed to dry naturally under the sun's rays. Birds, rodents, wind and rain and dust contaminants were the major disadvantage to this simple method. As time progressed so did technology, today we have sophisticated solar dryers to protect grain, drying it faster and more uniformly to produce a better quality product.

Because solar dryers are very expensive there are not many of them to be found. Using them for alternate purposes like heating farm buildings makes them cost effective to some extent. Small, low cost dryers can be made using simple materials, which are useful for the small scale farms to dry vegetables and fruit.

Space and water heating: heating the air in animal farm sheds is very expensive and solar panels come in handy, absorbing the heat from the sun to transform it into energy to heat the air inside the sheds. To do this you need solar heaters, which also help to increase the natural ventilation levels. Water heating is also accomplished by the panels absorbing heat from the sun and converting it into energy that is used to heat the water. The large commercial farms find solar energy to be very cost effective because their energy requirements are very large.

The solar photovoltaic (PV) panels convert the sunlight directly into electricity that is used to power appliances. The energy can also be stored in a solar battery. These systems can be set up in remote locations and are a much cheaper alternative to installing transformers and power lines.

The solar photovoltaic panels are also used to convert sunlight to energy to provide one of the most cost effective water pumping options in places where no power supply is available. These solar pumps do not require much maintenance and really depends on the amount of solar resources being tapped by the panels.

Even small solar panels don't come cheap, which is why most crop irrigation systems become too expensive with this method, however, they are a very cost effective method for supplying water to remotely situated livestock farms; for small irrigation systems and pond aeration.

As we continue to progress, agricultural technology like all else continues to change as well. Solar panels can greatly enhance the cost effectiveness of several farming operations. Solar power has multiple uses and when used for more than one purpose, the payback period is greatly lessened.

Going green is the best way forward and we have to use more of the free, renewable energy available to us from the sun. However, at home, instead of buying ready-made expensive solar panels you can learn how to make your own small solar panels and save a lot of money. This is how I've done it. Stay tuned because more infobarrels on this topic are coming!