Solar Energy is heat and radiant energy from the Sun, which is harnessed by a wide range of ever-evolving technologies including solar heating systems, photovoltaic, solar thermal power, solar architecture, artificial Photosynthesis and solar hot water. Solar Energy has many advantages over traditional forms of energy. It is inexhaustible, pollution free, virtually limitless, is stable in any condition and easy to obtain. Solar Energy is classified into two basic types of heat energy and electricity.
Heat Energy consists of the radiation coming from heat exchanges between matters that are heated and the air around them. Solar heat exchange units are used to convert direct sunlight directly into heat energy. The sun’s light can be converted into electricity or used for heating purposes. Solar energy is also used in the desalination of seawater, solar furnaces, and in running steam turbines.
Photovoltaic Cells (“solar panels”) are used to harness the sun’s rays and turn them directly into electricity. These PV cells are designed to catch the maximum amount of sunlight during the day, with the maximum amount of sunlight being received on the top of your roof. When the sunlight hits these solar panels, electrons are knocked loose. These electrons flow through wires that are attached to photovoltaic cells and then the electrons create electricity.
Solar Thermal Energy is absorbed by materials in the Earth’s surface, such as rocks, and rockcrete, and that are warm enough to allow the energy extracted by the solar panels to be stored within the material, called a thermal energy storage system. This energy is usually not immediately useful, because most of it is lost through thermal conductivity, meaning that the materials must have a certain amount of thermal conductivity before they are able to absorb the energy. A thermal energy storage system can also save you money since you will not need to buy electricity when you have solar energy panels installed on your roof.
Heating Hot Water: Heating water is another use for solar energy. There are two different types of solar systems that can be used to heat water: active and passive. In an active system, solar panels are usually built into the roof of a building or other structure to directly heat hot water. These systems generate electricity each time a person turns on a faucet or takes a shower. The energy that the sun sends out into the universe can be collected by PV panels and sent to a small pump which in turn heats the water.
If you want to heat your swimming pool, you would need to install a solar energy collector in the roof. Although swimming pools do not use photovoltaic panels like a home does, you can still benefit from using solar energy. Using renewable energy can help you save money. It also helps the environment since fossil fuels are not being burned to create heat. Solar heat collecting systems do not produce ozone, but they do reduce your heating bills by using less natural gas and electricity.