MISSION

Renewables

Intro

Solar Energy

Energy from the sun has been harnessed for thousands of years.

We utilise this energy in three main ways:
Passive heat: This is the heat that we receive from the sun naturally. This can be taken into account in the design of buildings so that less additional heating is required.

Solar thermal: Where we use the sun's heat to provide hot water for homes or swimming pools. We cover this topic in another fact sheet. Photovoltaics: Uses energy from the sun to create electricity to run appliances and lighting. When talking about solar energy it is important to distinguish between these three types.

Photovoltaics (PV): Requires only daylight - not direct sunlight - to generate electricity. PV systems use cells to convert solar radiation into electricity. The PV cell consists of one or two layers of a semi-conducting material, usually silicon. When light shines on the cell it creates an electric field across the layers, causing electricity to flow. The greater the intensity of the light, the greater the flow of electricity.

PV systems generate no greenhouse gases, saving approximately 450kg of carbon dioxide per year for each kWp installed.

The three main types of solar cells are:
Monocrystalline: made from thin slices cut from a single crystal of silicon. This has a typical efficiency of 15%.

Polycrystalline: made from thin slices cut from a block of silicon crystals. This has a typical efficiency of at least 13%.

Thin Film: made from a very thin layer of semiconductor atoms deposited on a glass or metal base. This has a typical efficiency of 7%.