The temperature of the sun is 36,000,000 ° F and is the hottest ball of mass in the solar system. The sun keeps every planet in orbit by its gravity. Our star goes through cycles of high and low activity that repeats about every 11 years. The number of dark spots on the sun marks this variation. As the number of spots increases so does the solar activity. Sunspots are sources of flares, which are the most violent events in the sun. Above our heads is a huge thermonuclear reactor (with a capacity of 110 trillion KW) which could cover all our energy needs if needed. Even if we use only one thousandth of the solar energy available, this is almost three and one half the times the energy consumption of all the earths inhabitants. In a matter of minutes a large flare releases a million times more energy than the largest earthquake.

          The photovolatic effect was discovered in 1839 by Alexandre Edmond Becquerel, a french scientist who wondered why some materials gave off sparks when exposed to light. He proved his theory that this was a direct conversion of light to electrica l energy. At the time, machines running on electricity had not been invented yet, so there was no practical use for this discovery.
          In 1905, Albert Einstein speculated that light could penetrate atoms. The collision of photons and atoms could force electrons to leave their orbits. This would allow for the creation of an electric current.
          The first solar cell was developed in the USA in 1954 by scientists at Bell Labs. It was the space race that significantly improved the solar cells. This was the only solution for power on satellites.

          Silicon is the raw material used to make solar cells. It is also the second most abundant element on earth (after oxygen) although it does not occur in its pure state in nature.

Monocristilline     12-16%

Polycristalline       11-13%

Amorphous              8-10%

          The sun's rays should be perpendicular to the panels for optimal performance. When calculating optimal solar angle position take into consideration your local date/time.

          The Senegalese Government recognized the importance of PV and has exempted photovalitc systems for important duties and VAT. More than 2,000 houses are PV powered in this country. Lets hope that other countries will recognize the importance of PV and do what the Senegalese Government is doing.

          According to the U.S. Congress Office of Technology Assesment our known oil reserves will be spent by the year 2037. The "Oil Era" will have lasted just 175 years, which is not very long in human history.

          Europe has been committed according to Kyoto Protocol that the Renewable Energy will correspond the 20,1% of total production of electricity until 2010 and the 29% until 2020.
The Renewable Energy production in Greece to-day oscillates roughly 2,5% only, of the total production of the electricity needs.


         Signal of danger for atmosphere from American scientists realised that the pollution and the monoxide of coal are found in new levels - record. According to research of American Service of Oceanography and Atmosphere that became with samples from all the world, the monoxide of coal in atmosphere reached new records a lot above the limit of venturousness. The experts point out that the research confirms the fears that the rythm of increase of levels of monoxide of coal was almost doubled the last thirty years.

          The closure of hole of ozone above the northern pole will delay at least one decade concerning previous estimates, as old models of refrigerators and air-conditionning cars continue releasing calamitous substances. At least, the layer of ozone above the Arctic, which had weaken more from what in the Antarctica, it will have healed almost completely until 2045, as showed the same research of National Service of Oceans and Atmosphere of USA.

          If Manhatan Island (New York City) was covered with PV panels, they would produce enough energy to satisfy all the electricity needs in the USA.

          Americans consume more energy than two thirds of the planets inhabitants use. A European consumes 50 times the energy than an African. In China alone, a new power plant is built every month. It is calculated that approximately 1,200,000 people in Southern Europe live on solar energy.

          A single 50 W panel produces about 90 Kwh of electricity a year which represents 2,700 Kwh during it's life time (30 years). This is the equivalent of 48 barrels of oil; or 1,255 Kgs of coal, or 1,814 Kgs of CO².

         At time interval 1960-2000 the human population have been doubled but the consumption of aquatic resources have increased 10 times and the consumption of oil and mining have increased itself at 200%.

         300.000 deaths in Europe are annually owed in the atmospheric pollution. The work leaves because of health cost 80 billions euros. The mainer threat they constitute of micro items that enter deeply in the respiratory web and in the blood circulatory as well as ozone.

          Greece allocates today solar systems of total force 5,3 megawatt, the moment where the corresponding number in nebulous Germany reaches 1.200 megawatt!