Energy for Sustainable Society

10Solar Energy Systems

Two common technologies to capture solar energy are Photovoltaic (PV) conversion and concentrated solar power (CSP) generation systems.

Top: A utility‐size PV generation facility near Hagerstown, Maryland, with 25‐MW installed capacity.

Bottom: Crescent Dunes Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant between Reno and Las Vegas in Nevada. The facility has 110‐MW capacity and generates electric power day and night by storing thermal energy in molten salt.

10.1 Introduction

Sunlight is the main source of energy on Earth. The idea of harnessing solar energy for practical applications goes back to prehistoric times. Lenses and concave mirrors were used by ancient civilizations to make glass from sand, melt metals, or simply initiate fire by concentrating sunlight. In the eighteenth century, solar furnaces were constructed using polished steel to melt iron, copper, and other metals. French scientist Antoine Lavoisier reached temperatures as high as 1750 °C by focusing sunlight through lenses (Kalogirou 2004).

Today, a broad range of practical applications use solar energy for either direct heating or electric generation. Modern architectural approaches have also evolved for natural heating and lighting of passive solar buildings. This chapter will focus on active conversion systems that capture solar energy by solar collectors and photovoltaic (PV) cells.

Based ...