What is solar energy?

Solar energy is the use of photovoltaic (PV) systems to convert light into electricity. Voltaic cells consist of thin layers of semi-conducting material – usually crystalline silicon – which generate an electrical charge when exposed to light. ... more

A solar energy system creates usable power from sunshine. There are two basic kinds of systems: Photovoltaic or PV uses sunlight to generate electricity. It's the same technology found on pocket calculators, just on a larger scale. PV systems can be designed to generate all of the electricity used in your home, or just a portion of it. Thermal Solar uses sunlight to heat water. Typically this is used for a home's hot-water supply. A well-designed thermal system can be extremely effective, and provide most of the hot water used in your home. New York Solar Solutions supplies both kinds of systems. Both let you do your part towards reducing greenhouse gases and improving the environment. ... more

Solar energy is the general term used for capturing and using the sun’s energy to perform useful work, such as producing heating for homes or businesses or converting the sun’s energy into electricity. Solar thermal energy systems usually use rooftop panels to produce hot water or hot air for heating solar photovoltaic systems use photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight directly into electricity. ... more

We have always used the energy of the sun as far back as humans have existed on this planet. As far back as 5,000 years ago, people "worshipped" the sun. Ra, the sun-god, was considered the first king of Egypt. In Mesopotamia, the sun-god Shamash was a major deity and was equated with justice. In Greece there were two sun deities, Apollo and Helios. The influence of the sun also appears in other religions - Zoroastrianism, Mithraism, Roman religion, Hinduism, Buddhism, the Druids of England, the Aztecs of Mexico, the Incas of Peru, and many Native American tribes. We know today, that the sun is simply our nearest star. Without it, life would not exist on our planet. We use the sun's energy every day in many different ways. When we hang laundry outside to dry in the sun, we are using the sun's heat to do work - drying our clothes. Plants use the sun's light to make food. Animals eat plants for food. Decaying plants and organisms hundreds of millions of years ago produced the coal, oil a ... more

Most of us think of solar energy as sunlight, and that is correct. In addition to the portion of solar radiation that the human eye can see as sunlight, the spectrum includes other forms of energy including ultraviolet light and infrared radiation. We use solar energy either as light energy, which can also be turned into electric current by what are called photovoltaic cells, or as heat, also called thermal energy. ... more

Solar energy is the energy that comes to us from the sun. We can harness that energy and put it to use in our everyday lives. The technologies we use to transform the sun s energy are often divided into three categories: • Passive Solar Energy • Active Solar Energy • Photovoltaic (Electrical) Solar Energy Passive Solar Energy is a commonly used term that can have a wide variety of meanings. It is often used to refer to certain building practices that take advantage of the sun s energy with nothing other than proper building design and construction techniques. For example, on a bright sunny winter day, you will notice that rooms in your house, with south facing windows, will be nice and warm, even if it s cold outside. South-facing windows are one way of collecting solar energy passively . There are passive techniques that can be used to take advantage of solar energy with windows, walls, roofs and even landscaping. A properly designed, constructed and insulated home or office building ... more

Plants have been using the energy from the sun for billions of years. Until recently, however, this energy has been available only indirectly to humans via the energy we harvest in the form of everything from fossil fuels to plants to wind power (all solar energy derivatives). Today, as environmental awareness and rising oil prices put pressure on society, the potential of emerging solar energy technologies that directly harness the nearly limitless energy of the sun is increasingly desirable and economically feasible. Harnessing Solar Energy Harnessing solar energy involves both the direct use of the radiated heat as well as its conversion to electricity in the most efficient way possible. There are three categories that define every type of solar energy technology. First, passive solar collection begins with the design of the building and includes optimal location, windows facing south, walls that absorb heat and light, and plenty of insulation. The heat and light that is collected i ... more

A. Solar Energy is produced by photovoltaic solar panels that create DC (direct current) voltage that can be connected and stored in batteries. This power is usually inverted to AC (alternating current) voltage, which can supply the necessary electricity to be used to power some or all of a homes electrical systems. ... more

Solar energy is energy obtained from the sun. When we talk about solar energy we usually mean the radiation that reaches us directly from the sun. There are many ways in which we can use the energy that is captured. These fall into one of two categories of application - solar thermal and solar electric. In solar thermal systems, solar energy can be converted to heat and used directly or stored. The evaporation of water for salt production or water distillation are common examples of solar thermal applications. The most obvious example of stored solar heat is the familiar solar hot water service. Solar electric systems produce electricity directly from photovoltaic cells. ... more