How does solar energy work

Do you want to know how does solar energy work, in this article I will explain everything you need to know about this renewable energy source.

How does solar energy work

Renewable energies are beginning to be the option for large companies or for households and there are many reasons that justify it, so in this article we will explain what solar energy consists of, what its types are and how they work.

1. What is it?

Solar energy is called that which is obtained by a process called photovoltaic effect which takes advantage of photons of solar radiation, this is one of the best alternatives to generate electrical and thermal current , since it comes from a source of clean energy. or renewable, which means that it is inexhaustible.

Also, did you know that the sun’s energy provides more than 4,500 times the energy we consume in a year?

2. How does solar energy work on solar panels?

The time has come to know what solar energy consists of, knowing how solar energy works is really simple, we will explain it to you below.

Solar energy is harnessed through the sun’s rays that reach the earth and through a photovoltaic or thermal system. It begins when a part of the panels, called photovoltaic cells , receive radiation from the sun and the photovoltaic effect is produced , which basically through a semiconductor material called silicon , photons are obtained from the radiation and together with electrons, they pass through a converter . to transform them into current that we can use, this in the case of solar panels.

This is the way in which the energy from the sun works, it is captured by a system and through various processes it is transformed for our benefit, that is, solar energy works in different ways, photovoltaic solar energy, which is what It is used to produce electrical current and solar thermal energy, which helps fluids, such as water, to increase their temperature.

3. Types of solar energy that exist

In this blog we will not only talk about what solar energy consists of, but we will also present the three types of energy that exist and the way in which it can be used depends on these.

Photovoltaic Solar Energy

Photovoltaic solar energy is acquired from solar radiation through solar panels, that is, a photovoltaic system which, as explained above, is attracted by solar cells and they exchange continuous alternating energy.

This type of solar energy is used in plants or in the home and one of its greatest benefits is that it helps in saving the price of energy consumption.

And it splits in two

• Self-consumption installations: They are used by neighborhoods, houses or businesses because they do not exceed 100 kilowatts, that is, they produce less power.
• Installations for photovoltaic plants: They are used to supply medium to large populations, which means that they reach up to 150 kW of energy.

Thermal solar energy

This type of solar energy, in the same way, takes advantage of solar radiation to convert it into thermal energy and heat some fluid or heating, this is used both for houses or even for large industries.

And it is obtained through solar collectors , thanks to an accumulator the fluid is heated in addition to being stored so that the hot water is administered as it is used. This is divided in three ways:

• Low temperature solar thermal energy: Through heat absorbers, it is possible to reach temperatures of up to 65º.
• Medium temperature solar thermal energy: The collectors allow to reach average temperatures of around 300º.
• High temperature solar thermal energy: Through the collectors and other elements, in this to reach high temperatures of up to 500º

Passive solar energy

This last type takes advantage of solar energy without the need for any system that transforms it, and this is acquired through a so-called bioclimatic architecture that takes into account the conditions where the building or house is built or remodeled, as well as the materials that are used.

Passive solar energy helps to save energy , however this is only a system that can be complemented with another type of system, such as the hybrid, which combines the two previous ones, thermal and photovoltaic.

Solar energy and everything it involves is an interesting topic, and it will also help you when people want to know more about the products they are buying. This article on what solar energy is has concluded, we hope it has been useful to you, We also invite you to visit our blog , where you can find more topics that will be of interest to you.