Solar energy is the cleanest, most abundant, renewable energy source available. Each day, the sun provides enough energy to fulfill the entire world’s power needs several times over. Current technology allows us to capture this power in several ways to utilize both the heat and the light of the sun.

Harnessing the sun's light

When the sun’s light hits certain materials, it can be converted into an electrical current, which we can then harness for power. For example, photovoltaic (PV) modules utilize semiconductors to generate electricity directly from sunlight. Electrons in these materials are freed by solar energy and can be induced to travel through an electrical circuit to power electrical devices or send electricity to the power grid.

Harnessing the sun's heat

Solar thermal technology utilizes the thermal energy (heat), generated from sunlight. Substances, such as propylene glycol, capture thermal energy in a solar thermal panel, which is then used to heat water for residential and commercial use.