Solar Overview

Solar History

President Carter was the First President to Introduce solar Power to the world and sad but true the world wasn’t ready for it and the next president removed the systems. The Bush Administration included many incentives that went unused because people just didn’t understand how to access them. Today the currennt O’bama Administration has brought alternative technologies for power into our minds- it’s in everyday conversations.

The history of solar has 2 main types of solar;

1. Photovoltaic Systems 

• Solar Electricity

1. Solar Thermal

• Solar Water Heating

Here are some solar thermal applications traditionally used in heating water

Solar Thermal

• Very Simple and effective way to heat water
• Has Been used for thousands of years
  • Ancient Greeks- 400 B.C.
  • Romans
  • Native Americians

Domestic hot Water

• Open Loop vs. Closed loop
  • Open loop = direct
    • Directly heating water from tank
  • Closed Loop = indirect
    • Uses heat exchanger and transfer fluid
• Active vs. Passive
  • Active- uses pump to circulate water
  • Passive- uses natural convection of hot water

Photovoltaic Applications

Photovoltaic Systems

(PV)

• Photo=Light   
• Voltaic= Electricity

Photovoltaic (PV) Systems turn light into energy through the capture of light into a pv system that consists of an inverter/breaker panel/meter and is tied into utility service this is what’s know as a grid connected pv system and the production of energy is measured in kWh

In our next article we will start by discussing the types of PV systems