Solar energy

Solar energy comes from the sun's rays and is a major renewable energy alternative to classical fossil fuels.

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This energy can be harnessed from two perspectives: heat and photovoltaic effect.

• The exploitation of solar heat is usually used for domestic use, to heat water through solar thermal panels.
  
  
• The photovoltaic effect, on the other hand, uses the ultraviolet component of the sun's rays to produce electricity. This is made possible by the property of semiconductor materials, which convert the energy of photons into a stream of electrons. The practical realization of this energy transformation are photovoltaic panels, which are internally made up of a lattice of cells made of semiconductor material, which carry out this energy conversion process.
  
  

Photovoltaic cells generate direct current that can be used to charge batteries, which in turn power devices with direct current. However, since almost all devices use alternating current, inverters are needed to convert direct current to alternating current.

The output of photovoltaic modules is defined by a number of factors, including: their size, radiation intensity (calculated in W/m², which varies geographically and is necessarily related to the day-night cycle), and the angle between the beam and the panel arrangement (ideally 90°). Their efficiency varies depending on the technology. Ultra-modern modules reach about 20 percent; the average efficiency is about 15 percent.