Alternative Energy

Those rays of sun contain photon packets, which have enough light to give us daylight in the sun’s presence and night in its absence. Solar panels and types of solar energy collectors are designed to collect and transform the sun’s energy to electricity. Solar panels are created so that an electrical field is induced between two charged layers of which one is positive and the other is negative.

Power Up The Panels

When the light energy from the sun hits the charged panels (also known as solar collectors), it generates electricity between the negative and positive layers. This electricity moves to the power center where it is either stored in the battery or sent through the converter or the inverter to be used for your electrical needs.

What is nice about solar energy is that after you install your equipment that is it for your costs for the system and any resulting electricity. Barring any equipment failure, whatever the amount of electricity that your system produces is free from here on out.

Different Types Of Home Solar Collectors

There are different types of solar collectors that are used to create the electrical charge for homes. They are not the only types of solar collectors that are used although these are main types for the home and used for these purposes.

Batch collectors can be used for hot water tanks and heat exchangers.

Glazed flat plate collectors can be used for hot water tanks, heat exchangers, heating indoor pools and cooling buildings.

Unglazed flat plate collectors can be used for heating outdoor pools.

Vacuum tube collectors can be used for hot water tanks, heat exchangers and cooling buildings.

Air based collectors can be used for heating and ventilation.

Advanced windows are used for heating buildings and day lighting buildings.

Transparent insulation is used for heating buildings and day lighting buildings.

The Trombe wall is used for heating buildings.

Liquid based collectors are used for heating buildings.

Photovoltaic energy (solar electricity) is used for generation of electricity for grid and off grid use that can be made in different sizes for seasonal homes, remote equipment, batters, inverters and small wind turbines or microhycro systems.

Photo catalysts are used for detoxifying air with UV lamps as a back up system.

Solar cookers are used for cooking food and treating water.

Solar collectors are available for existing buildings or for integration into a new building’s structure. An important feature to keep is mind is whether the system can be upgraded or if new components can be added onto your system.