Monday, 1 July 2013

How Does Solar Energy Work - Concentrating Solar Power

By

Expert Author Yvonne Mustafelli
There are a lot of scientific terms and processes to describe how sunlight is transformed into electricity. For most people, just knowing a panel can pull electricity from the sun and reduce home and business power bills is enough. This basic solar production is widely used, but concentrating solar power is quickly gaining a foothold as the most viable means of electricity production. Concentrating the sun's rays can be used to produce energy using collectors, troughs and towers.
Collectors Concentrate the Sun's Heat Using Troughs
Imagine the sun's heat being pushed through a trough and used to heat a liquid. This is one process used to generate electricity through solar concentration. The trough increases the temperature of the sun's rays and a liquid is heated. The steam generated the moves a turbine and electricity results.
Towers Concentrate Solar Power at the Top
Towers, or updraft towers as they are commonly called, are a combination of three proven alternative energy solutions. Collectors at the base of the unit collect heat. The heat is moved into a tower where it is concentrated and pushed up toward the top of the tower. During movement, the heated air moves a wind turbine and electricity is produced.
So, how does solar energy work? Every form of solar energy has the same base elements. The sun is the producer of heat and electrons. Some systems collect and streamline electrons to produce electricity while other take advantage of solar heating. Combination systems could use both heat and electron collection to create a mega-power source for future generations.
Learn more about how solar energy works at RenewableEnergySpot.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Yvonne_Mustafelli

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