Solar energy is simply power from the sun and can be divided into 2 main groups.
- Photovoltaic, solar cells and solar panels.
- Solar thermal, solar steam turbines and solar heat exchangers.
Photovoltaics use the sun’s radiation (photons) to “bump” electrons inside the solar panel to a higher energy state producing electricity. Solar panels produce DC (Direct Current, like batteries) electricity, this is fed into a device called an inverter that produces AC (Alternating Current, like that found in a power point of your home).
Solar thermal itself is divided into 3 categories of;
Low temperature (domestic pool heating systems)
Medium temperature (home hot water systems) and
High temperature (Systems of this type are mostly commercial and large scale).
All systems come in a variety of shapes and sizes but essentially all them harness the suns energy using collectors of some description. Collectors are as simple as black tubes that heat up like in pool heating systems. Or can be hi temperature mirror arrays focusing the suns radiation to heat a substance, usually water into steam to spin turbine generator producing AC electricity. Jump to links page to find solar manufactures and suppliers. Go
