The Cosmic Course to Solar Technology
Cosmic Rays
When the sun's rays come down to Earth, they arrive as sunlight. In order to harness the light and gain power from the rays of sunlight, we have to be able to capture the light. For many years, our ancestors simply used reflectors as ways of transmitting the light into the interior of buildings, but with technology advancing as much as it is in the world today, this transmitting idea is primitive. Now we can capture the light through a few different methods, and then convert it for more general use.
Cosmic Conversion
The most direct way of converting light into energy is through photovoltaics. This method uses solar panels with photovoltaic cells on them. The cells absorb the light as it hits them, convert it to energy, and send it along to the energy unit, from a battery to a power plant.
Concentrated power is another way of converting light to energy. This is done through an indirect method of using reflective surfaces over a large area to send the light to one far smaller place. This concentrated light is converted into heat, which then powers an engine or a thermochemical reaction.
Cosmic Energy
Once the light has been converted into energy, it becomes useful in a lot of different ways. One of its most common uses is through transfer to electricity, providing heat, light, types of transportation, and other forms of electricity to places, sometimes as large as an entire city depending on the source. The energy can also be stored in things like rechargeable batteries or through artificial photosynthesis. This energy is stored to be used at a later time when solar power is unavailable, either at night or during the winter.