How Is Solar Energy Gathered

Solar energy is gathered by using solar panels to convert the sun s energy into electricity.

How is solar energy gathered. The popularity of solar power has led to the rise of another renewable technology. One is by direct thermal means the sun s heat is used to heat a liquid heat transfer medium in glass tubes usually the sun s rays are focussed. Thermal mass systems use paraffin wax or various forms of salt to store the energy in the form of heat. The total amount of solar energy incident on earth is vastly in excess of the world s energy requirements and could satisfy all future energy needs if suitably harnessed.

To generate solar energy the photons radiated from the sun to earth must be collected converted into a usable format and then delivered to an electronic device or the electric grid. The solar panel is made up of silicon wafers that have wires attached inside to transfer the energy to the location that it is needed. According to the solar energy industries association the solar market is expected to double in size by 2023 becoming a 4 5 billion market by that time. Solar energy and people since sunlight only shines for about half of the day in most parts of the world solar energy technologies have to include methods of storing the energy during dark hours.

It is an essential source of renewable energy and its technologies are broadly characterized as either passive solar or active solar depending. Solar energy sunlight is an abundant clean safe and free resource providing approximately 1 000 watts of power per square meter to earth s surface on a sunny day. Solar panel systems have become one of the fastest growing sources of energy in the united states. In fact the total amount of solar energy that hits earth in just two hours is more than enough to meet current global energy consumption for an entire year.

An inverter is. The silicon has electrons in it that when hit by sunlight causes them to become active and create electricity. There are two different ways to gather solar energy. Solar energy radiation from the sun capable of producing heat causing chemical reactions or generating electricity.