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You have felt the power of solar energy if you have ever turned on the garden hose or opened the door as a car parked in the sun on a hot, summer day. Would you walk barefoot in the road on that hot day? It would probably burn your feet!
Passive Solar technologies have been used for ages and use factors like orientation of the building to the sun and dark, thick walls to absorb the heat of the sun. These buildings would absorb heat during the day and then release it at night, keeping it warm. Other passive methods are used to block the heat from entering buildings like thick insulation and double or triple paned windows.
Below is a great video on the use of passive solar techniques.
Passive Solar technologies have been used for ages and use factors like orientation of the building to the sun and dark, thick walls to absorb the heat of the sun. These buildings would absorb heat during the day and then release it at night, keeping it warm. Other passive methods are used to block the heat from entering buildings like thick insulation and double or triple paned windows.
Below is a great video on the use of passive solar techniques.
Active Solar technologies use the same principle of collecting the heat from the sun, but the heat is then transferred to a fluid, which is transported throughout the building for other uses. This can heat water (Solar Hot Water) or be used to heat floors or the air in a building.
Solar Photovoltaic systems are more involved than passive or active technologies, and convert the light from the sun into electricity, which can then be stored, used, or sent back to the utility for use by others.