Solar power is an area of interest to many people who are concerned about the environment we live in and the dwindling supply of resources available to us. When searching for alternatives to fossil fuels the topic that comes up most often is solar energy.

There are basically two categories that solar energy can be split into. Solar Thermal and Solar Electric
Solar Thermal Method And How It Works

The sun heats water and the water is then circulated throughout your home to maintain a desired space temperature.

Water or a glycol solution is circulated through heat exchangers that absorb heat from the sun and circulate this water throughout the space to be heated. The heat from the water is absorbed into the cooler space that requires heat and then returns to the heat exchanger to be heated again.

Another variation of this is to use the sun to heat water for domestic use. The domestic water can be heated directly by circulating it through the heat exchanger or can be heated indirectly by using a system similar to the home heating method.

A third example of solar thermal is to utilize the suns heat to directly heat air, which is then circulated through the space to be heated.
Solar Electric Method And How It Works

In the solar electric method energy from the sun is converted into electricity through the use of photovoltaic cells.

UThe materials that these cells are manufactured from react chemically to sunlight and create electricity. These photovoltaic cells are made up of many smaller cells and the electricity produced within each cell is combined to obtain a desired voltage.

The electricity can be stored in batteries for later use or used as it is produced.