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Solar Energy Technologies.

How Solar Energy technologies harness the sun’s FREE energy for your everyday practical use.

Four Types of Solar Energy Technologies That Could Change the World In 10 Years or Less.

1.  Photovoltaic (PV) systems which convert sunlight directly to electricity by means of PV cells made of semi-conductor materials.

2.  Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) systems which concentrate the sun’s energy using reflective devices such as troughs or mirror panels to produce heat that is then used to generate electricity.

3.  Solar Water Heating systems which contain a Solar Collector that faces the sun and either heats water directly or heats a “working fluid” that in turn is used to heat water.

4.   Transpired Solar Collectors or “Solar Walls” which use solar energy to pre-heat ventilation air for a building.

There are many Solar Energy systems for harnessing FREE solar energy.

Active Solar systems use electrical and mechanical components such as tracking  mechanisms, pumps and fans to capture sunlight and process it into usable outputs such as heating, lighting or electricity.

Passive solar systems use non-mechanical techniques to control the capture of sunlight and distribute this energy into usable outputs such as heating, lighting, cooling or ventilation. These techniques include selecting materials with favorable thermal properties to absorb and retain energy, designing spaces that naturally circular air to transfer energy and referencing the position of a building to the sun to enhance energy capture.

Direct solar generally refers to technologies or effects that involve a single step conversion  of sunlight that results in a usable form of energy.

Indirect solar generally refers to technologies or effects that involve multiple-step   transformations of sunlight that result in a usable form of energy.

Concentrating Solar Power (CPS) Systems

The real powerhouse in CSP plans is focused sunlight. CSP plants generate electric power by using mirrors to concentrate (focus) the sun’s energy and convert it into high temperature heat. That heat is then channeled through a conventional generator. The plants consist of two parts. One that collects Solar energy and converts it into heat and another that converts the heat energy to electricity. Within the United States, over 350MW of CSP capacity exists and these plants have been operating reliably for more than 15 years.

CSP systems can be small enough (Stirling Systems as small as 10kw are under development) to help meet a small village’s power needs. CSP Systems can also be much larger generating up to 100MW of power for use in utility grid connected applications. Some CSP Systems include thermal storage to provide power at night or when it is cloudy. Others are combined with natural gas systems in hybrid power plants that provide power on demand.

The amount of power generated by a concentrating Solar power plant depends on the amount of direct sunlight at the site. CSP technologies make use of only direct beam (rather than diffuse) sunlight.

Today’s CSP systems can convert Solar energy to electricity more efficiently than ever before. Utility scale trough plants are the lowest cost Solar energy available today and further cost reductions are anticipated to make CSP competitive with conventional power plants within a decade. So, CSP is a very good renewable energy technology to use in the southwestern United States as well as in other sunny regions around the world.

Photovoltaic (PV) Systems

Solar energy technologies or photovoltaics convert light energy to electricity. These technologies require semi-conducting materials such as certain kinds of silicon and when they are exposed to sunlight they release small amounts of electricity. This process is known as the photoelectric effect. The photoelectric effect refers to the emission or ejection of electrons from the surface of a metal in response to light. It is the basis physical process in which a solar electric or photovoltaic (PV) cell converts sunlight to electricity.

Sunlight is made up of photons or particles of Solar energy. Photons contain various amounts of energy corresponding to the different wavelengths of the Solar spectrum. When photons strike a PV cell they may be reflected or absorbed or may pass right through. Only the absorbed photons generate electricity. When this happens the energy of the photon is transferred to an electron in an atom of the PV cell which is actually a semi-conductor.

With it’s newfound energy, the electron escapes from it’s normal position in an atom of the semi-conductor material and becomes part of the current in an electrical circuit. By leaving it’s position, the electron causes a hole to form. Special electrical properties of the PV cell, a built-in electric field, provides the voltage needed to drive the current through an external load (such as a light bulb).

A Solar energy technological system is made up of different components. These include PV modules (groups of PV cells) which are commonly called PV panels. One or more batteries, a charge regulator or controller for a stand alone system, an Inverter for a utility grid connected system and when alternating current (ac) rather than direct current (dc) is required, wiring and mounting hardware or a framework.

Solar Water Heating Systems

Every Solar Water Heating System features a Solar Collector that faces the sun to absorb the sun’s heat energy. This Collector can either heat water directly or heat a “working fluid” that is then used to heat the water. In active Solar Water Heating Systems, a pumping mechanism moves heater water through the building. In passive Solar Water Heating Systems the water moves by natural convection. In almost all cases, Solar Water Heating Systems work in tandem with conventional gas or electric Water Heating systems. The convention systems operate as needed to ensure a reliable supply of heated water.

There are many types of Solar Water Heaters. Each has strengths to recommend them for specific climates and water conditions. Solar System professionals can help you select the most appropriate system for your area and your needs.

Solar Lighting

Imagine being able to light your home or office most of the day and on most days with sunlight but not the kind that comes through the windows. That’s what hybrid Solar lighting (or HSL) Systems are being developed to do. Prototype HSL systems are made up of roof mounted Concentrators that collect and separate the visible and infrared portions of sunlight. The visible portion of the light is distributed through large diameter optical fibers to hybrid luminaries. Hybrid luminaries are lighting fixtures that contain both electric lamps and fiber optics to distribute sunlight directly. Unlike conventional electric lamps the Solar component of HSL produces little heat.

The remaining “invisible” energy in the sunlight, mostly infrared radiation, is directed to a concentrating thermo-photovoltaic (solar) cell that very efficiently converts infrared radiation electricity. The resulting electric power can be directed to other uses in a building. When sunlight is plentiful the fiber optics in the luminaries can provide all or most of the light needed in a particular area but when there is little or no sunlight sensor-controlled electric lamps turn on to maintain the desired illumination level.

Independent cost and performance models suggest the overall affordability of Solar energy could be double or tripled by using this new hybrid approach. The multi-disciplinary R&D effort involved in developing HSL includes several industrial and university partners.