A solar cell, or photovoltaic (PV) cell, is itself a component of a solar panel, or module. Solar cells are made of a material, usually silicon, that acts as a semiconductor. The silicon is cut into a… Read more »
There are several different factors that go into figuring the cost of a solar PV system. There are also up front costs, rebates and rate of payback to be considered. Up Front Costs Up front costs… Read more »
Integral Collector systems (ICS) are one of three types of solar hot water collectors. What differentiates ICS from evacuated tube and flat plate collectors is that the water itself is the collector. While… Read more »
Thermosiphon is a type of passive solar water heating that utilizes convection to heat water. Water passes through a closed-loop circuit that is vertical and thus needs no mechanical devices or pumps. It… Read more »
There are worldwide concerns about energy as well as global warming and greenhouse gas emissions, leading many countries to more aggressively pursue alternative and cleaner energy sources. Solar is one… Read more »
In order to create a solar energy system, you need some method of collection. We learn as children the effects the sun’s rays through a magnifying glass, and collecting solar energy is not much different,… Read more »
In active solar space heating, the collector is a main component in the process. There are different types of collectors, but for the purposes of this article, we are going to focus on the flat-plate collector.… Read more »
Solar energy is the wave of the future. World-wide, more and more homes are converting to solar energy; and researchers are working hard to make solar energy more competitive and affordable. A fairly inexpensive… Read more »
There are two different ways to capture the sun’s rays and to convert them into heat; either passively or actively. Passive methods don’t utilize equipment; whereas, active gathering does use fans,… Read more »
For both skylights and tubular solar lights, the objective is to expose the indoors to natural light. This adds to the brightness and comfort of the room while saving the homeowner money through reduced… Read more »