Facts about Solar Energy

Facts about Solar Energy Systems

• Photovoltaic Solar Energy Systems - These are used to convert solar energy directly from light into electricity, through the use of photovoltaic cells. Photovoltaic devices are also called "photovoltaic modules," "PV modules," "PV cells," "solar panels", "solar cells," "solar chargers," and "solar battery chargers." All these terms refer to the same basic device, although it is made in a variety of forms.
• Solar Heating Systems - This refers to using solar energy to warm up water in order to heat ones home or provide hot water. It is usually done through flat plate collectors installed on ones roof. A flat plate collector is a sheet of metal with some tubes going through it for water to pass through, sunlight warms up the metal which in turn heats the water going through the tubes. Such a system can drastically reduce your heating bill an will pay for itself in just a few years through the energy savings.
• Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) Systems - This is more an industrial solar energy system. It is the cheapest and most cost effective way of producing grid-tied energy an can be used to supply energy to entire cities. Technology has advanced so far that it is now financially viable to compete with conventional power plants. There are several different designs for concentrated solar power systems such as the parabolic trough, solar dish-engine, and the Solar tower.
• Solar Lighting Systems - Solar lighting systems is a relatively new technology (well technically its not "new" as the Egyptians and other early civilizations made use of similar principles). Solar lighting technology involves taking normal sunlight and transferring it to into building through the use of fiber optic cables. The light is then used as regular room lighting, thus saving on the energy bill. This is definitely a solar energy technology with a bright future, as there are many ways to easily incorporate this into buildings.