Different kinds of solar energy explained....

Harnessing and using the power of the sun can be done in two main ways, photovoltaic and solar thermal. Photovoltaic panels produce electricity using the energy from the sun, the process turns photons found in sunlight in to electricity. Common examples of these PV panels can be found everywhere in everyday items such as calculators, road signs, battery chargers for boats and caravans to those that charge your mobile phone when you go camping. Photovoltaic panels are also usual anywhere where it is deemed difficult to lay electricity cables and is a carbon free renewable energy, which is a viable alternative to the power we generate with fossil fuels like coal and gas. Households are installing Solar PV panels on their roofs in order to cut down on home electricity costs and beating the hugely inflated electricity bills we face with even the added advantage being that any surplus energy can be sold
back to the grid, which means not only is it possible to save money by installing a Solar PV panel but also you can earn money from it too.

We are increasingly seeing photovoltaic panels being used on commercial and industrial buildings but it is important to bare in mind that the use of a PV panel to generate your electricity will not ensure that you will still have electricity when there is a power cut, this is only certain if you have a battery powered back up system. Solar PV panels are connected to the grid and therefore are not outside of experiencing power cuts.

The second form and more commonly known use of solar energy is Solar Thermal which is used for heating water in the home, heating water used in swimming pools and in space heating and cooling systems. A conventional domestic hot water system consists of a boiler, which heats water that in turn, is pumped around a coil in the hot water cylinder and if needed, through the radiators for heating. The water stored within the cylinder then becomes hot for use through the hot tap in domestic kitchens and bathrooms. It is a very similar process that is adopted by Solar Thermal panels, they have a twin coil cylinder, the bottom cylinder is used for the fluid that is heated in the solar panels by the sun and the top cylinder is used for the boiler heated circuit, only the top cylinder can be heated by the boiler because as we all know heat rises. The heat within the water is comprised of layers, the hottest layer being found at the top and this is where the hot water is drawn off.

There are two types of Solar Thermal system to consider, these are passive and active systems. The passive thermal solar system uses natural convection and circulates the liquid without the need of a pump and the other, active involves the use of a circulating pump, which is similar to a central heating pump usually connected to a controller.