Depending on where you live and how sunny the weather is there, you may or may not get your power from renewable sources. However, with more and more people seeing the benefits of going “green”, more and more people are going solar. If you’re looking to go green with your energy supply and don’t know where to start, continue reading this article to discover everything you need to know about solar energy sources.
Types Of Solar Energy
When choosing a renewable energy source for your home, you need to keep in mind that there are several different types of solar energy. In this article, we’ll discuss the most popular types of solar energy along with their advantages and disadvantages.
- Photovoltaic (PV)
- Thermal
- Wind
- Hydro
- Synchronized Intermittent Capacity (SIC)
Let’s begin with the basics. Photovoltaic (PV) solar energy is created when light is converted into electricity through a process known as photo-voltaic effect. The most common type of solar cells are made of silicon, cadmium telluride and amorphous silicon. These cells are known as thin-film cells because they’re usually quite thin (around 150-250 nm). Photovoltaic solar energy has become very popular because it’s a flexible source of energy and can be used with any type of home appliances including water heaters, dishwashers and refrigerators. It also has a very high efficiency rate, usually around 15% on average. Unfortunately, photovoltaic solar energy isn’t suitable for charging large appliances such as air conditioners, due to its low capacity.
- Thermal
- Wind
- Hydro
- SIC
Next, we have thermal solar energy. Thermal solar energy is created when sunlight is converted into heat by either of the following:
- Absorbing panels
- Towers
- Concentrating solar rays
- Thermal electricity
Thermal solar energy is similar to photovoltaic (PV) solar energy in that it is a flexible source of energy, however, it’s less efficient than PV solar energy. Some of the most common types of thermal solar cells include single crystal silicon, polycrystalline silicon and mono-crystalline silicon. Although thermal solar energy can’t be stored like other types of solar energy, it has a high efficiency rate when it comes to converting sunlight into electricity.
- Wind
- Hydro
The last type of solar energy we’ll discuss is wind solar energy. Wind solar energy is created when the wind blows across the surface of a set of giant wheels known as the wind turbines. As the wind pushes against the rotating turbine blades, the blades convert the energy into electricity which is then stored in batteries or shipped off to the grid via the power lines. One of the main advantages of wind solar energy is that it is a very flexible source of energy since you can choose the time of day that you want your power to be generated and it can be used to power anything from small appliances to large buildings. Unfortunately, due to its flexibility, you won’t be able to store much of it as your energy needs shift with the seasons.
Hopefully, this article gave you a good idea of the different types of renewable energy sources available and the advantages and disadvantages of each type. Keep things practical and you’ll help everyone save money while going green!