RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN SOLAR POWER PLANTS
Solar Thermal Applications. The applications include water heating for domestic, commercial
and industrial use, space heating and drying, solar distillation, solar cooling through absorption &
adsorption cycles, solar water pumping and solar power generation.
Solar Photovoltaics. Photovoltaic (PV) or solar cells refers to the creation of voltage from
light. A solar cell is a converter; it changes the light energy into electrical energy. A cell does not store
any energy, so when the source of light (typically the sun) is removed, there is no electrical current from
the cell. If electricity is needed in the night, a battery must be included in the circuit. There are many
materials that can be used to make solar cells, but the most common is the element silicon. A typical
solar cell is 3-6 inches in diameter and are now available in various shapes like circular, square, etc.
The conversion processes occurs instantly whenever there is light falling on the surface of a cell. And
the output of the cell is proportional to the input light.