The primary use of solar energy is in the form of electricity. But solar energy also comes in many other forms, most notably it has been used throughout time in the form of heat. Recent advances in the conversion of solar energy to electricity have made solar energy the primary source of electricity for many people living in remote places with adequate sunlight.
Solar energy is captured through a variety of methods. The most well known is the method that uses water via solar thermal collectors to collect energy to be stored in a tank and circulation loop. The three different types of water heaters used are the passive, active, and batch. The passive system just circulates fluid through the system where the heat transfers. The active system works in much the same way, except that it uses pumps to circulate the fluid. The batch system skips most of the other layers of the process by having the tank of water heated directly by sunlight.
One of the most popular uses of solar energy is for lighting. Solar lights store the energy of the sun by day and then when darkness sets in the energy is used to power the lights. This has become very popular because it provides lighting without any worry about energy costs. Most solar lighting systems are now very affordable, so it doesn't take a long time before you start realizing the savings.
Many outdoors adventurers use solar energy for cooking. Increasingly, people are beginning to recognize the value of this technique in third world countries with limited electrical and financial resources, and also in first-world countries in areas of high pollution. A solar box cooker uses trapped energy from the sun to cook. This box is designed to take energy into itself, but well insulated to keep that energy inside.
As discussed, electricity is the primary use of solar energy now. For the conversion of solar energy into electricity, solar cells are used. Solar cells consist of panels of energy collectors using semiconductors' photovoltaic effects in the generation of electricity. Typically this energy is stored in large batteries until it is needed, otherwise the electricity is lost immediately after collection. This is electricity is then inverted from DC to AC when it is needed by appliances.
Whatever your energy needs, solar energy is one of the most efficient and environmentally friendly methods of converting energy into usable electricity. There are many places around the world with near-constant daylight sun that is essentially going to waste while heavy pollution coal factories burn around the clock to make up the difference. You can do your part, and cut your electricity costs, by making as much use of solar energy as possible.
