Solar energy equipment includes thermal systems for heat and electricity production, and photovoltaic cells for direct electricity generation. Building-integrated and standalone devices are used for various applications, while solar power plants generate large amounts of electricity.
The different types of solar energy equipment include a large variety of devices that trap solar energy and convert it into usable energy, such as electricity or heat energy. Solar energy equipment is often classified into two main types: thermal equipment, which produces heat, and photovoltaic equipment, or photovoltaic cells, which produce electricity. Solar energy is a huge source of renewable energy that humans have only harnessed on a relatively small scale.
The production of solar energy with thermal equipment can be used for many applications, such as for heating buildings, or for the production of hot water for residential use or for use in industrial processes. Thermal systems can also be used to generate electricity indirectly by means of a type of solar-powered equipment called a heat engine. Another way to create electricity using solar thermal energy is to use solar energy to produce steam, then use the steam to power turbines that generate electricity.
The main type of solar energy equipment that directly generates electricity is the photovoltaic cell, sometimes called a solar cell. This technology incorporates semiconductors made of silicon or similar materials, which absorb the energy of light waves and convert it directly into electrical energy. Solar energy companies usually produce some sort of module in which the solar cells are bundled, typically with a tough glass outer coating, which lets in sunlight while protecting the delicate semiconductors underneath. The electricity generated by solar cells can be used to power equipment, charge a battery, or power an existing electrical grid.
Some of the important types of solar energy equipment include building integrated photovoltaic systems, standalone photovoltaic devices, and solar power plants. Building-integrated photovoltaics are systems that can be incorporated into new buildings, both industrial and domestic, as the main source of energy or as a supplementary energy generation system. This approach may be particularly attractive for developments built some distance from the normal electricity supply or grid.
Self-contained photovoltaic devices have long been used to power small machines like calculators. More recent applications of standalone solar energy equipment include emergency telephones, traffic signs and parking meters. These types of applications can be especially attractive for remote locations. Solar power plants can generate large amounts of electricity. These types of power plants rely on the fact that while sunlight is intermittent in most areas, it is usually possible to predict fairly accurately how much sunlight will be available for months or years.
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