How we harvest the energy from the sun

Fossil fuels are not sustainable energy sources and more and more people are looking at ways in which they can use wind turbines and Solar Panels like the ones available from https://gsmlimited.com/services/solar-panels/ to create energy from renewable sources instead.

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Harvesting energy from the sun is known as solar energy generation and there are two main ways in which this is achieved.

Solar Photovoltaic Systems – these are systems that use photovoltaic cells to harvest the lightwaves from the sun and convert these into electricity. The cells are made from semiconductor materials such as silicon. These absorb photons from sunlight and when this happens they excite the electrons in the cells that then create an electrical current. Solar Panel Systems can be connected to the electrical grid, which means that any excess electricity that is made can be pumped back into the grid for general use.

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Solar Thermal Systems – these are systems that use the heat of the sun and use this heat energy in systems such as water heating and even in electric generation. Examples of these systems include Parabolic Troughs which are made from curved mirrors that direct the sunlight onto pipes that are filled with a heat-transfer liquid. As the fluid heats up, it creates steam that then turns a turbine that generates electricity. In solar water heating systems the solar collectors are used to heat water that can then be used in both domestic and industrial settings.