Solar power
Solar power is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics, indirectly using concentrated solar power, or a combination. Concentrated solar power systems use lenses or mirrors and solar tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam. Photovoltaic cells convert light into an electric current using the photovoltaic effect.
Photovoltaics[edit]
A photovoltaic system converts light into electrical direct current (DC) by taking advantage of the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic systems have been traditionally used in small scale applications, from calculators powered by a single solar cell to off-grid homes powered by a photovoltaic array.
Concentrated solar power[edit]
Concentrated solar power (also called concentrating solar power, concentrated solar thermal, and CSP) systems generate solar power by using mirrors or lenses to concentrate a large area of sunlight, or solar thermal energy, onto a small area. Electricity is generated when the concentrated light is converted to heat, which drives a heat engine (usually a steam turbine) connected to an electrical power generator or powers a thermochemical reaction.
Applications[edit]
Solar power is anticipated to become the world's largest source of electricity by 2050, with solar photovoltaics and concentrated solar power contributing 16 and 11 percent, respectively. This requires an increase in installed PV capacity to 4,600 GW, of which more than half is expected to be deployed in China and India.
See also[edit]
| Part of a series on |
| Renewable energy |
|---|
 |
Solar power[edit]
-
Electrical and Mechanical Services Department Headquarters Photovoltaics -
Foto aérea de solnovas y torre junio 2010 -
PV system schematics residential Eng -
Parabolic trough -
Share of electricity production from solar -
World solar generation yearly -
2007 New solar installations annually by country or region -
Installed solar PV capacity log graph -
Electricity production by source -
World PVOUT Solar resource map Global Solar Atlas World Bank Esmap Solargis -
Reality versus IEA predictions annual photovoltaic additions 2002-2016 -
Ivanpah Running
Ad. Transform your health with W8MD Weight Loss, Sleep & MedSpa
Tired of being overweight?
Special offer:
Budget GLP-1 weight loss medications
- Semaglutide starting from $29.99/week and up with insurance for visit of $59.99 and up per week self pay.
- Tirzepatide starting from $45.00/week and up (dose dependent) or $69.99/week and up self pay
✔ Same-week appointments, evenings & weekends
Learn more:
- GLP-1 weight loss clinic NYC
- W8MD's NYC medical weight loss
- W8MD Philadelphia GLP-1 shots
- Philadelphia GLP-1 injections
- Affordable GLP-1 shots NYC
|
WikiMD Medical Encyclopedia |
Medical Disclaimer: WikiMD is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Content may be inaccurate or outdated and should not be used for diagnosis or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider for medical decisions. Verify information with trusted sources such as CDC.gov and NIH.gov. By using this site, you agree that WikiMD is not liable for any outcomes related to its content. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates, categories Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
