Types of Solar Energy
- Active solar energy: It primarily considers mechanical devices to capture, store and distribute the energy across the regions.
- Passive solar energy: It implies collecting the sun's energy with no mechanical devices as used inactive. In the UK, an average house passive solar gain amounts to 14% of the heating demand and is often neglected but contributes considerably to energy demand.
- Solar thermal energy: Here, the energy is acquired by converting solar energy into heat. It has a black surface that intakes light, heats up and sends the heat into a working fluid. Also, it can be unglazed as well as glazed as per the appearances.
- Photovoltaic solar power: This is the energy obtained by solar energy change into electricity and used for smaller installation purposes.
- Concentrating solar power: This is a kind of solar thermal energy undertaken to enable solar power electricity. It functions in direct sunshine. The mirror is set on a support that can conform to the sun as it shifts throughout its period in a day. It includes complexity and cost, and that is why they are only used in places having an advantage from a sunny climate with more clear and blue sky days.
Uses of Solar Energy
- Warming up of swimming pools: Solar blankets are taken into consideration to maintain the pool's heating. The alternate method uses a solar water heater to let the water warm for a particular period.
- Water heating: Solar energy takes electric heaters and gas as efficiency is increased by 15-30%.
- Use in cooking: For cooking any meal, solar cookers are undertaken. Solar energy is used to heat, cook and pasteurize food. A solar cooker comprises a strong heat sink because it gets appropriately cooked when food is set on in it.
