Solar energy can be used for generating electricity, heating and lighting homes and other buildings, hot water heating and solar cooling, as well as for numerous commercial and industrial uses. Various methods of harnessing solar energy are used in order to perform the above functions.
Concentrating solar power uses the sun’s heat to produce electricity. Three main concentrating solar power systems are currently available: parabolic-trough, dish/engine, and power tower.
Electricity can also be created using the photovoltaic system, more commonly known as the solar cell. Solar cells can convert sunlight directly into electricity and are often used in calculators and watches. Semiconducting materials, much like computer chips, absorb sunlight. Solar cells can be combined into larger units in order to provide electricity on a larger scale. Thin film solar cells can be used as shingles or roof tiles to power households and other buildings. However, larger solar cells are much more expensive to produce. Scientists continue to search for ways to make solar cells more cost efficient, despite significant advances in solar cell technology made during the past fifty years.
In much the same way that solar energy is captured to produce electricity, solar energy can be captured to heat and light buildings, as well as heat water.
Sources: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), U.S. Department of Energy (Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy) and The American Solar Energy Society