8

CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Related Literature
Local
Radio was first developed through two different inventions which are
the telegraph and telephone. These three technologies are closely related. It
was first known as wireless telegraphy. It can be a device that can be
either referred as an electronic appliance that we listen with or the content
listened to. It all started because of radio waves which are electromagnetic
waves that have the capacity to transmit music, speech, pictures and other
data invisibly through air. There are many things that can transmit these
things not only through these waves. Radio, microwaves, cordless phones,
remote controlled toys and television broadcasts are some of the devices
using electromagnetic waves.
There are different ways on how to generate electricity. One of those
ways is through using the suns energy or in other words, solar energy. Many
people use solar energy to generate power for their everyday lives. This
energy can be used for gadgets like cellphones, microwaves, household
materials and more. It can be used to store energy so that they can limit the

use of materials like batteries that are non-biodegradable and doesnt decay
fast.
A solar powered radio is a portable radio receiver which is powered
by photovoltaic panels. It is primarily used in remote areas where access to
power sources is limited. It was developed in the 1950s. It was capable of
working without any source of electricity. It is very helpful for people. They
can just store energy from the sun and dont buy batteries anymore. They
dont require any plugs because they can be used without electricity. These
can help people who are poor for they can listen to informative news without
thinking of buying a lot of batteries.
A solar

cell is

an

electrical

device

that

converts

the

energy

of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect. It is a form

of photoelectric cell which, when exposed to light, can generate and support
an electric current without being attached to any external voltage source.

Foreign
Every hour the sun beams onto Earth more than enough energy to
satisfy global energy needs for an entire year. Solar energy is the technology
used to harness the sun's energy and make it useable. Today, the technology
produces less than one tenth of one percent of global energy demand. Many

10

people are familiar with so-called photovoltaic cells, or solar panels, found on
things like spacecraft, rooftops, and handheld calculators. The cells are made
of semiconductor materials like those found in computer chips. When
sunlight hits the cells, it knocks electrons loose from their atoms. As the
electrons flow through the cell, they generate electricity. On a much larger
scale, solar thermal power plants employ various techniques to concentrate
the sun's energy as a heat source. The heat is then used to boil water to
drive a steam turbine that generates electricity in much the same fashion as
coal and nuclear power plants, supplying electricity for thousands of people.
In one technique, long troughs of U-shaped mirrors focus sunlight on a pipe
of oil that runs through the middle. The hot oil then boils water for electricity
generation. Another technique uses moveable mirrors to focus the sun's rays
on a collector tower, where a receiver sits. Molten salt flowing through the
receiver is heated to run a generator. Other solar technologies are passive.
For example, big windows placed on the sunny side of a building allow
sunlight to heat-absorbent materials on the floor and walls. These surfaces
then release the heat at night to keep the building warm. Similarly,
absorbent plates on a roof can heat liquid in tubes that supply a house with
hot water. Solar energy is lauded as an inexhaustible fuel source that is
pollution and often noise free. The technology is also versatile. For example,
solar cells generate energy for far-out places like satellites in Earth orbit and
cabins deep in the Rocky Mountains as easily as they can power downtown

11

buildings and futuristic cars. But solar energy doesn't work at night without a
storage device such as a battery, and cloudy weather can make the
technology unreliable during the day. Solar technologies are also very
expensive and require a lot of land area to collect the sun's energy at rates
useful to lots of people. Despite the drawbacks, solar energy use has surged
at about 20 percent a year over the past 15 years, thanks to rapidly falling
prices and gains in efficiency. Japan, Germany, and the United States are
major markets for solar cells. With tax incentives, solar electricity can often
pay for itself in five to ten years.
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, is harnessed using a
range

of

ever-evolving

photovoltaic, solar
photosynthesis.

thermal
Solar

technologies

such

electricity, solar

technologies

are

as solar

heating, solar

architecture and artificial

broadly

characterized

as

either passive solar or active solar depending on the way they capture,
convert and distribute solar energy. Active solar techniques include the use
of photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors to harness the energy.
Passive solar techniques include orienting a building to the Sun, selecting
materials with favorable thermal mass or light dispersing properties, and
designing spaces that naturally circulate air. In 2011, the International
Energy Agency said that "the development of affordable, inexhaustible and
clean solar energy technologies will have huge longer-term benefits. It will
increase countries energy security through reliance on an indigenous,

12

inexhaustible and mostly import-independent resource which can be a way

to enhance sustainability, reduce pollution, lower the costs of mitigating
climate change, and keep fossil fuel prices lower than otherwise. These
advantages are global. Hence the additional costs of the incentives for early
deployment should be considered learning investments; they must be wisely
spent and need to be widely shared".

Related Studies
Local
Solar powered flashlights or can be also called as solar powered
torches

are

flashlights

rechargeable batteries.
diodes lamps since

they

that
Most
have

are

powered

of

these

lower

by solar

flashlights

energy

energy stored

in

use light-emitting

consumption

compared

to incandescent light bulbs. Solar powered flashlights vary in features and

capabilities. A typical solar flashlight can give useful levels of illumination on
objects up to 50 meters away, and beam may be visible for much longer
distances. The solar cells used for battery charging have an indefinite life
expectancy. A solar powered flashlight may give several hours of light after
being charged during the day. These flashlights may be designed to be
impact resistant, weatherproof, and to float. Other models include features
such as a solar cell phone charger, an AM/FM radio, or a siren to call for help

13

in an emergency. Some models include a hand crank dynamo for charging at

night. An experimental solar flashlight the size of a credit card features a
white LED powered by 16 solar cells. Solar powered lights need not be
manually recharged as in the case of conventional battery operated
flashlights. Pollution from discarded batteries used in normal flashlights is
eliminated. Solar powered flashlights can be used in remote locations where
it is impossible to find any source of electricity except for solar power. A
built-in solar cell array in a hand-held product has a very small capacity. The
light output and run time of the solar flashlight are limited by the amount of
energy that can be absorbed in a day. Flashlights are usually stored indoors
or otherwise out of direct sunlight; consumers may find it inconvenient to
remember to place the flashlight in full sunlight for several hours before use.
Rechargeable cells self-discharge, so unless the flashlight is stored in a
sunny location, the light may not function in an emergency. Rechargeable
cells have a finite charge/discharge cycle life, and when the cells wear out it
may be difficult for the consumer to replace them. Some of these
disadvantages can be mitigated by separating the solar cell array from the
flashlight, but then the simplicity of automatic charging is lost. Solar
powered flashlights have been distributed to countries where there is either
no or erratic power supply, helping people feel safer leaving their homes at
night, and giving children the opportunity to study after sunset. A dual
purpose solar flashlight, which also functions as a lamp has helped families

14

in such countries spend more time together, surgeries to be performed

during power outages and people to travel in the dark under a halo of light.

Foreign
Ginkgo Solar Tree is a solar powered phone and tablet charger that
uses the energy of the sun to charge any device connected to it. It is an
environmental friendly source of power that can charge an Android
smartphone or an iPhone in two hours. One of the main challenges in
designing a solar powered charger is that it takes hours for it to charge a
device. If a shorter time is needed then bigger solar panels are needed to
absorb the suns energy. This is however not feasible in a desktop
environment. The XD Design team has come up with a way to harness the
maximum amount of solar energy without resulting to a bulky product. They
did this by taking inspiration from the Gingko Leaf, which is where the name
of the project was taken from. The design based on the Gingko leaf is not
only visually friendly but it also very efficient in absorbing the suns power.

References:
http://inventors.about.com/od/rstartinventions/a/radio_2.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar-powered_radio

15

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/globalwarming/solar-power-profile/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_energy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cell
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar-powered_flashlight
http://thedroidguy.com/2013/09/ginkgo-solar-tree-solar-powered-mobiledevice-charger/