Solar energy is the heat and energy that comes from the sun every day.
We usually feel it as heat. When you look at the sun and you feel the
heat on your face. This is the suns radiation heating your skin. 
If you walk on the beach on a hot day the sand is usually hot under 
your feet, or the asphalt on the street is very hot or when your garden 
hose lays in the sun and you turn it on and hot water comes out. 
These are all examples of solar energy.
 
Solar energy also heats up the atmosphere. It is a lot warmer in the 
tropics than it is in the arctic. This is because the tropics get more 
direct sunlight than the arctic areas. If your car sits in the sun all 
day the interior is very hot. This is solar energy heating the air 
inside your car. Everyday solar energy is pouring down on the earth 
and very ittle is harvested to produce heat and electricity.  
DIY Solar Energy will help you harvest this energy and turn it into electricity.
 
Solar thermal panels are used to heat water which can be used to heat homes. 
Sunlight is concentrated on the panels and this causes the liquid 
inside to heat up. The hot water can then be circulated through the 
heating system to warm our homes. It is the same principle as the 
garden hose that I stated earlier. Solar thermal panels can also 
be used to heat air which can be used for the same purpose.
 
Concentrated solar power uses mirrors and tracking systems to focus 
large areas of sunlight into a small beam that will produce electricity. 
Energy produced by the beam of light is turned into heat which drives 
a steam turbine to produce electricity. This system is usually used by 
large companies to produce electricity on a large scale that 
is then sold to the public.

Photovoltaic panels, known as solar panels, are most commonly used 
for household applications, but are also used in large grid connected 
systems that feed into the public grid. These panels turn sunlight 
into electricity with the use of solar cells. Solar cells are attached 
together to make a larger array of panels to produce a specified 
ammount of electricity. Solar panels are the systems that you will 
most commonly see on the roof of homes.
 
The two most commonly used systems are the grid connect system and 
the stand alone system. Stand alone systems use solar panels to make 
electricity and charge batteries for use at night or for use during 
a power failure. The batteries store electricity for use when the 
solar panels are not producing power. Grid connect systems meet the 
power needs of the building and then sells any excess power that 
you make back to the utility company.
 
Solar energy is slowly becomming a usable power source. Many new 
developments have been made in photovoltaic panels that make it 
more efficient and more affordable to the public.
With your DIY Solar guide you will be able to make solar energy your 
source for alternative energy.