Solar Panels

When someone thinks of recycling, they usually think of recycling glass, plastic or paper. There are so many other things that can be recycled. Some that don’t readily come to mind are:

Water
Wind
Solar Power

I want to focus on Solar Power. There are two different types of solar panels that can be used harness the sun’s energy. They are solar photovoltaic modules and solar thermal collectors. Solar photovoltaic modules convert the light from the sun into electricity, while solar thermal collectors use the sun’s energy to heat a fluid (usually water).

Solar photovoltaic modules are made up of solar cells that convert solar energy to electricity by means of a process called the photovoltaic effect (also termed the photoelectric effect). This is essentially a process by which energy from electromagnetic radiation such as visible light is absorbed by a panel. This gain in energy from the incoming photon causes the emission of electrons that results in electricity.

Solar Thermal Collectors are specifically designed to collect heat by absorbing sunlight. The main use of this is to heat water, but other fluids such as oil and antifreeze are also used. On a large scale, solar power plants use solar thermal collectors to collect heat and produce energy. The sunlight collected is used to heat water to produce steam. The steam is then used to drive a turbine connected to an electric generator.

Both types of solar panels can be used to harness solar energy for personal home use.