Solar -  Energy

Solar energy is the radiant light and  heat from the sun that has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies.

Solar radiation along with secondary solar resources such as wind and wave power, hydroectricity and bio-mass account for most of the available renewable energy on Earth. Only a tiny fraction of the available solar energy is used.

Solar power provides electrical generation by means of heat engines or photovoltaics. Once converted its uses are only limited by our ingenuity.

Solar technologies are broadly characterized as either passive solar or active solar depending on the way they capture, convert and distribute the suns energy. Active solar techniques include the use of photovoltaic panels, solar thermal collectors with electrical or mechanical equipment to convert sunlight into useful outputs. Passive solar techniques include orienting a building to the Sun, selecting materials with favorable thermal mass or light dispersing properties and designing spaces that naturally circulate air.

The following articles will detail some of these methods and others not mentioned here.