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

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

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

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

• Renewable energy
• Solar cell
• Solar panel
• Solar thermal energy
• Photovoltaic system