Solar Energy – A Popular Energy Source

For most Americans, solar energy is a preferred energy source. Clean and renewable, solar energy reduces worldwide dependence on fossil fuels and their inherent environmental and political problems. Plus, the cost of harnessing the sun’s energy is independent from rising energy prices.

Solar Thermal for Your Home - Generating and Using Heat Locally

With a solar thermal system, the energy for your hot water and heating is generated locally from your roof. Your hot water needs determine what your optimal size system would be. Larger systems simply use more collectors and larger water storage tanks.

Thermal Systems by Schüco Solar

Schüco is a world-leader in window, door and façade systems. And for over 10 years, Schüco has been producing premium solar thermal collectors at its production site in Bielefeld, Germany. We have translated our experience in major building envelope projects into outstanding solar systems for integration into residential housing.

Solar Thermal - Heat from Solar Energy

The basic principles of solar thermal are easy to grasp: Unroll a garden hose and lay it out in the sun. After a while the water in the hose will get hot.
Thermal collectors work on the same principle, only much more efficiently. A special fluid is heated within a closed circuit to a temperature of up to 430 degrees Fahrenheit and pumped into a heat exchanger to transfer the heat without mixing fluids. This heat is then "stored" in a domestic hot water tank. Some solar thermal systems are used to merely heat a home's domestic hot water, while others are used for heating or even to heat swimming pool water.

Heat Even When It Is Cloudy

Heat will still be generated even when the sun is obscured by clouds. Even on cloudy days, thermal systems work with a large percentage of their capacity through the diffuse light they receive.

Photovoltaics - Electricity from the Sun

The theoretical foundations for photovoltaics were laid by Albert Einstein who, in 1921, was awarded his only Nobel Prize for his explanation of "the photoelectric effect". In very simple terms, Einstein described how light can cause the electrons in certain metals to become active. Within the photovoltaic medium, the electrons can be caused to flow in a current which is by definition, electricity.

Silicon – Exists Everywhere But Is a Valuable Raw Material

Silicon is the second most abundant element on Earth after oxygen. Sand, quartz and semi-precious stones like amethyst or opals consist primarily of silicon. However, photovoltaic systems require high quality silicon, and worldwide there are only a few manufacturers of the thin wafers of almost pure silicon required for photovoltaic modules. The worldwide production capacity is increasing, but it is still in short supply. Silicon does have a distinct social advantage in that, unlike oil, sand is available in virtually limitless quantities, thereby avoiding damage to the environment.