Solar thermal energy is a technique of using light energy from the Sun to convert it to heat (thermal) energy. USA Energy Information Administration describes solar thermal units as low, medium, or high temperature solar units. Flat plates commonly employed in swimming pools to heat them up are low temperature solar units. For home and industrial scale heating of water medium temperature solar units, normally flat paneled solar units are used. Focusing light from the Sun employing mirrors or lenses is the working principle of high temperature solar units which are used for the production of electrical energy while photovoltaic cells, directly, convert light energy into electrical energy.
United States, in 2006, manufactured 21000,000 sq ft (2,000,000 square meter) solar thermal units from which 16,000,000 sq ft (1,500,000 square meter) were of the low temperature solar units. Generally, to heat up water in the swimming pools, low temperature solar units are installed, where space heating is another of their application. In these solar units air or water is the medium for transfering heat to its destination. In the United States, medium temperature solar units are employed for 50% of the heated water consumed for home and industrial usage. Such solar units, in the United States, prices to $5000–$6000 with a payback time an ideal home is nine years and half of these systems qualifies for a tax credit. Moreover, these have negligible maintenance price also minimizes CO2 emissions by 1 ton/year (as substitute to natural gas for water heating) or 3 ton/year (as substitute to electrical water heating.
High temperature solar units, of non-concentrated type, are installed like for space heating where temperatures below about 95°C are required, whereas the temperature of 150-220°C can be attained using non-circulating fluid-filled pipes. This temperature is minimal for efficient conversion to electrical energy. The temperature of the heat source varies inversely with the efficiency of heat engines. Using mirrors or lenses sunlight is focused to obtain higher temperatures — a technonolg called Concentrated Solar Power (CSP). It efficieltly minimizes the plant size and area required for per unit power generation, and hence cutting down the environmental effects of a power plant.
United States, in 2006, manufactured 21000,000 sq ft (2,000,000 square meter) solar thermal units from which 16,000,000 sq ft (1,500,000 square meter) were of the low temperature solar units. Generally, to heat up water in the swimming pools, low temperature solar units are installed, where space heating is another of their application. In these solar units air or water is the medium for transfering heat to its destination. In the United States, medium temperature solar units are employed for 50% of the heated water consumed for home and industrial usage. Such solar units, in the United States, prices to $5000–$6000 with a payback time an ideal home is nine years and half of these systems qualifies for a tax credit. Moreover, these have negligible maintenance price also minimizes CO2 emissions by 1 ton/year (as substitute to natural gas for water heating) or 3 ton/year (as substitute to electrical water heating.
High temperature solar units, of non-concentrated type, are installed like for space heating where temperatures below about 95°C are required, whereas the temperature of 150-220°C can be attained using non-circulating fluid-filled pipes. This temperature is minimal for efficient conversion to electrical energy. The temperature of the heat source varies inversely with the efficiency of heat engines. Using mirrors or lenses sunlight is focused to obtain higher temperatures — a technonolg called Concentrated Solar Power (CSP). It efficieltly minimizes the plant size and area required for per unit power generation, and hence cutting down the environmental effects of a power plant.
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