Solar power works by converting energy from the sun into power. There are two forms of energy generated from the sun for our use – electricity and heat. Both are generated through the use of solar panels, which range in size from residential rooftops to ‘solar farms’ stretching over acres of rural land. Is solar power a clean energy source?
Learn solar energy technology basics: solar radiation, photovoltaics (PV), concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP), grid integration, and soft costs.
Electrical energy can be harvested from solar power by means of either photovoltaics or concentrated solar power systems. Photovoltaics directly convert solar energy into electricity. They work on the principle of the photovoltaic effect. When certain materials are exposed to light, they absorb photons and release free electrons.
Photovoltaics directly convert solar energy into electricity. They work on the principle of the photovoltaic effect. When certain materials are exposed to light, they absorb photons and release free electrons. This phenomenon is called as the photoelectric effect.
Solar energy is a renewable and sustainable form of power derived from the radiant energy of the sun. This energy is harnessed through various technologies, primarily through photovoltaic cells and solar thermal systems.
While the energy source is the same – the sun – the technology in each system is different. Solar PV is based on the photovoltaic effect, by which a photon (the basic unit of light) impacts a semi-conductor surface like silicon and generates the release of an electron.