What does solar power or solar energy mean?
Solar energy is the term used to describe the light and heat produced by the sun. Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into electricity. Direct conversation of sunlight into electricity is performed by Photovoltaic (PV). The word 'photovoltaic' is composed of two terms: "Photo" which means light and "Volt" which is the unit used to measure electric potential. Solar systems use PV cells (called solar cells) to convert sunlight into electricity. Solar cells can be made from different so-called semiconductor materials. Today, silicon is the most widely used material, but other, usually compound (made from two or more elements) semiconductors are also used. They are silent and non-polluting, utilising a source of energy that renews itself.The photovoltaic solar energy system converts sunlight directly into electric power to run lighting or electric appliances. A solar system requires only daylight to generate electricity. |