Solar Systems

What is Solar Energy?

With skyrocketing gas and electricity costs, people are turning to solar power to save money as energy costs climb year after year. Solar energy is one of the fastest growing sources of alternative energy today; it is eco-friendly, sustainable, clean, and above all a free alternative to the current energy crisis we are experiencing. Germany leads the entire world as the top market for installed solar energy. In the United States, California is the dominant market, closely followed by New Jersey, Colorado, and Nevada.

Solar energy technology programs focuses on developing cost-effective technologies that have the greatest potential to benefit our nation and the world. Below are the different types of solar energy technologies that are available to us today.

Photovoltaics (PV). Photovoltaic systems use semiconductor materials such as silicon to convert solar energy into electricity. PV technology produces electricity directly from the electrons freed by the interaction of sunlight with the semiconductor materials in the PV module. It is widely used in consumer products such as solar calculators, watches, garden lights, attic fans, and much more. The building block of PV technology is the solar “cell.” Many cells are wired together to produce a PV “module,” and many modules are combined to form a PV “array.” Primarily, PVs are mounted on roof tops where they are exposed directly to the sun.

Solar Thermal Heating. Have you ever felt warm water trickle out of a garden hose that’s been sitting in the sun? If so, then you’ve witnessed solar water heating in action. Solar heating is the power of the sun to provide solar thermal energy used for hot water heating, space heating, and pool heating. A solar heating system saves energy, reduces utility costs, and produces clean energy. A typical residential solar water-heating system reduces the need for conventional water heating by about two-thirds. It minimizes the expense of electricity or fossil fuel to heat the water and reduces the associated environmental impacts. The efficiency and reliability of solar heating systems have increased dramatically, making them attractive options in homes and businesses. A correctly sized solar water heating system can cover 50-60% of your hot water heating requirement with free solar energy. Solar water heating is the most common application of active solar thermal in Europe. Solar space heating and pool heating has become popular in recent years.

Concentrating Solar Power (CSP). CSP uses different kinds of mirror configurations to convert the sun's energy into high-temperature heat. The heat energy is then used to generate electricity in a steam generator. Concentrating solar power's relatively low cost and ability to deliver power during periods of peak demand—when and where we need it—mean that it can be a major contributor to the nation's future needs for distributed sources of energy.

Of the three types of solar energy technology, the growing demand for PV has expanded in recent years. Photovoltaic production has been doubling every two years, increasing by an average of 48 percent each year since 2002, making it the world’s fastest-growing energy technology. At the end of 2007, according to preliminary data, cumulative global production was 12,400 megawatts. Financial incentives, such as preferential feed-in tariffs for solar-generated electricity and net metering, have supported solar PV installations in many countries including Germany, Japan, and the United States.