Knowra Solar energy Solar energy Energy carried by radiation from the Sun, captured as heat or converted into electricity. Its supply is renewable on human timescales but varies with daylight, weather, and location.
Photovoltaics : The direct conversion of light into electrical energy using materials that generate electric current when illuminated. Solar cells use this effect to convert sunlight directly into electricity.
Solar water heating : A system that uses solar collectors to heat water for domestic, commercial, or industrial use. It is a direct, widely used application of solar heat.
Electromagnetic radiation : Energy propagated through space as oscillating electric and magnetic fields. Sunlight is electromagnetic radiation, and its wavelength affects how solar devices capture it.
Wind power : Electricity generated by converting the kinetic energy of moving air. Wind is another variable renewable source, with different weather patterns and siting constraints.
Energy transition : The shift from fossil-based energy systems toward low-carbon sources, technologies, and patterns of use. Expanding solar power is one major pathway in this wider change.
Solar thermal energy : The capture of solar radiation as heat for direct use or conversion into another energy form. It captures sunlight as heat rather than converting it directly into electrical current.
Solar power tower : A concentrated solar power plant in which a field of mirrors directs sunlight onto a central receiver tower. It shows how concentrated sunlight can generate heat at utility scale.
Semiconductor : A material whose electrical conductivity lies between that of a conductor and an insulator and can be controlled by doping or fields. Semiconductors enable photovoltaic cells to separate and collect light-generated charge.
Hydroelectricity : Electricity generated from the energy of flowing or falling water. Reservoir hydropower can often be scheduled, unlike sunlight-dependent generation.
Renewable energy : Energy from sources replenished naturally on human timescales, such as sunlight, wind, and flowing water. Solar energy is a renewable source within this broader class.
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