Photovoltaic And Thermal Solar Panels

Solar thermal and solar photovoltaic.

Photovoltaic and thermal solar panels.

Photovoltaic vs solar thermal solar thermal technology and solar pv are two very different forms of solar technology. Photovoltaic thermal pv t hybrid solar systems offer increased electricity production by cooling the pv panel and using the removed thermal energy to heat water all in the same footprint as a standard pv system. Solar energy in california falls into two categories. As the name may suggest to you solar thermals technology is used to create heat for your home.

The heat in turn drives a heat engine which turns a generator to make electrical energy. Solar thermal uses the sun s energy to generate thermal energy which is used to heat water or other fluids. The california energy commission licenses solar thermal plants above 50 megawatts and promotes solar photovoltaic installation through the renewables portfolio standard with building efficiency standards and as a partner in the california solar initiative. Solar thermal is currently used more often on large scale applications where lots of hot water is needed like a laundromat or a college dorm.

Sunlight is collected as it would be via regular solar panels before being transformed into heat for water or your home in general. The solar thermal system differs from solar photovoltaic in that the solar thermal power generation works through the concentration of sunlight to produce heat. Solar thermal electric energy generation concentrates the light from the sun to create heat and that heat is used to run a heat engine which turns a generator to make electricity. Photovoltaic it is important to understand that solar thermal technology is not the same as solar panel or photovoltaic technology.

A standard photovoltaic panel only generates 20 of electricity during operation. The remaining 80 is heat. Photovoltaic pv systems generate electricity rather than heat.