Solar energy and it's uses in Nigeria

Posted by Felix Okoli on Tuesday November 17, 2015 at 10:38:23:

What is Solar energy? It's basically the energy or power we get from the Sun. Light and heat are two forms of energy which the sun gives and they can be used in making life better for humans.

Everyday we wake up after a night sleep because the sun brings light by rising from the East. The Sun goes further to keep giving us light and heat and sets in the West where it then operates in full force. Night comes only after the Sun falls in the west and this brings darkness except for a dim light that comes from the moon's reflection of the Sun after the latter is no longer visible.

In Nigeria, the energy from the Sun is really useful as it provides heat and light which can be used for a variety of things. What do Nigerians and other Africans use Solar energy for? They use it for a variety of things such as drying, heating and generating electricity.

Drying: Nigerians use the heat energy that comes from the sun to dry wet substances so that they become fully or particularly dehydrated just by placing them under sun's ray. Things such as wet clothes, Food and wet substances are dried on a daily basis by Nigerians just by hanging them outside. Things like Food tend to have a longer shelf life after drying them. Clothes are dried after washing them so that they can be worn comfortably.

Farming: A good number of Nigerians are farmers with many of them doing subsistence farming in rural areas. Those farmlands cannot do without the sun if they were to produce crops and fruits. The light and heat from the sun is essential for farming because it is with it that plants are able to manufacture their food and grow. With it they are able to draw water from the soil due to evaporation and to prevent solid over flooding. Without solar energy, farming would be easily possible and this could lead to famine.

Electricity generation: This is a relatively new thing Nigerians are using Solar energy for as a result of the fact that the local power companies are not efficient enough in providing enough electricity. Energy from the sun is tapped by means of Solar cells which can convert light into electrical energy that can be used to power electronic devices. Using solar energy is what many nations of the world are now promoting as one of the best and safest ways to generate electricity rather than relying on other methods which are not environmentally friendly. Most solar cells used in Nigeria are normally imported into the country but Nigerian government wishes that they were factories producing them locally.

Solar energy is very useful in Nigeria and the one that can really move Nigeria forward if only we know how to fully optimize it in making our lives better.