How Do the Solar Energy Systems Generate Active Solar Energy?

Solar energy, as one of the primary renewable energy sources, is critical in the transition to cleaner economies that protect the environment, improve people's well-being, and maintain business sustainability.

FREMONT, CA: The sun's energy is harvested in the form of electromagnetic radiation (light, heat, and ultraviolet rays). It can capture thermal energy (photothermal) or create electricity by installing solar panels or collectors (photovoltaic).

Due to technological advancements, solar energy has become one of the most efficient and inexpensive renewable energy sources. Along with helping the planet's sustainability, this limitless energy source draws investment, creates jobs, and boosts businesses' competitiveness.

Solar energy is classified into several categories, the first of which is active solar energy and the second of which is passive solar energy, based on whether the energy absorbed from the sun requires conversion to another type of energy or not.

• Photovoltaic solar energy: A photovoltaic system is an installation that generates electrical energy through photovoltaic modules capable of directly converting solar radiation to electricity. Solar panels contain photovoltaic cells that ionize and release electrons when exposed to direct light. These electrons interact with one another and generate electrical currents.

•Solar thermal energy: Solar thermal energy converts solar radiation to heat via collectors (thermal solar panels). These collectors capture and store solar energy, which is then utilized to heat water in heating or hot water systems for hygiene, residential, or industrial purposes.

This technique can also be used to generate electricity by using the heat generated to boil water, which produces steam and turns, for example, the turbines of a generator.

•Passive solar energy: With passive solar energy, no energy transformation is necessary because it utilizes techniques such as bioclimatic architecture, which are location- and material-specific, to achieve cooling and lighting of a property. In other words, although active solar energy requires additional equipment and a conversion procedure to convert the acquired energy (into electricity in the case of photovoltaics or heat in the case of thermal), passive solar energy is immediately harnessed.

Solar energy is generated when the sun's heat or radiation is converted to thermal or electrical energy.

Photovoltaic solar energy is generated when photons from the sun collide with the solar panel cells and produce electrons. Electrons move by exchanging places and generating an electrical current between the solar panel's layers. The greater the intensity of the light, the larger the current flow. Thermal solar energy is a very basic process that consists of a system for collecting solar energy (solar collector), a mechanism for storing the energy (collection vessel), and finally, distributing the carrier fluid for consumption.