Solar energy system / Solar power plant

Solar energy plants, also called solar energy systems, generate electricity or heat from the sun's energy and are often combined with other heating systems such as heat pumps.

Photovoltaic systems use solar collectors on the roof to absorb the sun's rays and then converts them into electricity. These solar energy systems consist of a network of photovoltaic modules containing silicon solar cells. The silicon atoms react to the solar radiation and migrate between the layers. This produces direct current, which is converted by the inverter into household electricity. Electricity generated by this solar energy system is either used immediately, fed into the public grid or stored in a storage tank for later use.

The solar energy systems used to generate heat are called solar thermal systems. These convert solar energy into heat through a series of solar collector tubes that are also mounted on the roof and filled with solar fluid. The heated solar fluid conducts the heat through a heat exchanger into a buffer storage tank, which supplies the heating system and the hot service water. Storage tanks within the solar energy systems also enable later use.

Read here about solar power.

< Glossary