With the price of photovoltaic (PV) panels plummeting and the advent of the era of PV “solar farms,” large scale solar thermal projects...

It would be hard not to notice the rush of activity in the worldwide photovoltaic marketplace in recent years, but you may not have...

Liquid solar thermal heating systems are best for central heating in the home. The solar collectors use either water or a non-toxic...

Concentrating solar power (CSP, or also known as concentrated solar power) uses mirrors or lenses to reflect sunlight onto a surface that...

A solar power purchase agreement – PPA – is a way to use solar energy in your home without the initial high costs of the purchase and...

A solar panel lease works similarly to other leases: the homeowner rents a PV system from the system owner for a monthly fee. If the...

An Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM) is a loan financing option that takes a home’s energy efficiency into account. EEMs are available both...

A thermosiphon system – also called a thermosyphon solar water heater – has a tank connected to a flat plate-collector. Thermosyphon...

Efficiency ratings for solar thermal collectors refer to either the thermal energy output or the “amount of energy offset” by a system...

For a homeowner, solar water heating often produces better returns than photovoltaics. Depending on a circumstances specific to you,...

The cost of solar water heaters, like solar PV systems, is reasonably high up-front, but is likely to be less than conventional water...

You should decide on the size of your hot water heating system with the advice of a solar professional. Here are the two primary...

Solar water heating systems need a storage tank to keep water heated by the collector. Storage tanks are also used for liquid-based solar...

Solar hot air collectors are mounted on south-facing vertical walls or roofs. Solar radiation reaching the collector heats the absorber...

An evacuated tube solar collector is composed of hollow glass tubes. All the air is removed from the tubes to create a vacuum that acts...

A flat plate solar collector is an insulated box covered by glass or plastic with a metal absorber plate on the bottom. The...

Thermal solar collectors turn the sun’s radiation into heat and then transfer that heat to air or water. This process is facilitated by a...

In contrast to photovoltaic (PV) energy, solar thermal systems turn the sun’s radiation into heat and then transfer that heat to air or...

An evacuated tube solar collector is composed of hollow glass tubes. The air between the tubes is pumped out, while the outside of the...

Flat Plate Solar Collector Design Photo Credit: Physics World A glazed flat plate solar collector is an insulated box covered by glass or...