Solar Electric Power is the energy produced through the light and heat of the sun, and it is harnessed by humans, through the use of many different kinds of technologies.

This energy is of the renewable kind, so it is a great alternative to fossil fuels. Today, just a minor fraction of the available solar power is used. Solar electric power can either be passive or active, depending on certain factors – like how they capture, convert and distribute sunlight. Most active techniques use pumps, fans, and panels to convert the sunlight into a useful output. Passive techniques select materials with favorable thermal properties.

Solar electric power is made through photovoltaics, and by concentrating solar power, and other experimental technologies. Photovoltaics have been used to power small and medium-sized applications, from calculators (powered by a single cell) to off-grid homes powered by a full photovoltaic array.

Today, multi-megawatt photovoltaic plants are quite common. For example, the 14 MW power station in Clark County, Nevada and the 20 MW site in Beneixama, Spain, represent the trend towards larger photovoltaic power stations.

Solar thermal electricity is a kind of power which is produced by solar electric power, by converting the sun’s energy into high-temperature heat, by using different kinds of mirror configurations. These are channeled to an on- site power plant and then used to make electricity through traditional heat-conversion technologies. The plant would consist of two general parts – one would collect solar energy and convert it to heat, and the other would convert the heat energy to electricity.

When solar energy is converted directly to electricity through photovoltaics, it is called solar electric power. This kind of energy is becoming very vital today, because renewable sources of energy are in high demand. Solar electric power in fact, has been doubling, the increase is by 48-49% each year, it is almost the world’s most rapidly growing energy technology. The photovoltaic modules are electrically connected in multiples, as solar photovoltaic arrays – they convert the energy of the sun into solar electric power.

The photons from sunlight turn the electrons into a higher condition of energy, and thus, electricity is created, of a DC (direct current) kind. This can be used to power equipment, or even for battery recharging. Solar electric power can also be used to power satellites that are orbiting, or for other types of spacecraft. But it is mostly used in grid connected power generation. However, the DC power would need to be changed to AC power, thus, an inverter would be needed.

These kinds of cells require protection from the environment, so they are kept tightly bound behind a sheet of glass. If more solar electric energy is needed, then the cells are connected together electrically, and photovoltaic modules are formed – these are also known as solar panels. Did you know that one single module can give sufficient power for an emergency telephone, by itself? Solar electric power is truly the way to the future.