How solar energy is being utilized?

Answer 1

1. Photovoltaic cells (or solar cells) convert light directly into electricity at the atomic level. These cells are made of semiconductor materials such as silicon. When the climate is sunny, enough energy can be produced to power a 100W light bulb with just one square meter of solar panels. The energy from the photons knock electrons in the semiconductor loose and the electrons flow freely. The flow of electrons creates a current that powers various devices.

2. Passive solar energy is another way to utilize solar energy. It collects heat and light from the sun with walls, floors, windows, and roofs to control the amount of energy from the sun that the building absorbs. Only the building's materials are used to absorb the sun's energy, which is why this technique is called passive solar energy. Specially designed windows, for example, can allow passive solar heat to pass and stay inside the building in the form of heat.

3. Many households use solar energy to heat water. The sun heats up the cold water that pass through collectors. The collectors are usually on roofs to collect as much possible sunlight as possible.