Solar Energy

This renewable energy is considered the fastest growing renewable energy resource on the planet. To put it simply, solar energy is harnessing the energy of the sun. There are two ways to harness solar power.

First is by photovoltaics or solar cells. This method is more commonly used and is more familiar to the population. These solar cells directly convert the sun’s rays into electricity. These are what you see in solar panels at households or in a solar-powered calculator. The installations of solar photovoltaics are an excellent way to provide electricity to locations that are from electricity transmission lines.

Luckily, the cost of producing and manufacturing solar panels has greatly reduced in the past few years. Because of this, solar energy is now the most affordable resource when it comes to renewable energy.

The second method of harnessing solar energy is by concentrating solar rays through the use of mirrors. This is called Concentrated Solar Power. The concentrated rays are directed to a fluid. When the fluid heats, it creates steam, which then drives a turbine to generate electricity. This method is extremely efficient in large power plants.

The Concentrated Solar Power can be equipped with molten salts to store heat. In this way, you can still generate electricity even at night when the sunsets.