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Solar energy is the energy derived from the sun and transformed into usable forms (such as thermal or electrical energy).
This transformed energy is then used in multiple ways like in transportation, water heating, electricity, cooking, in-room heating, and much more. Also, Solar energy is even used in airplanes and satellites.
To convert sun rays into a usable form of energy, there are primarily two methods of conversion to follow:
Direct / Active
Indirect / Passive
In this post, you will know everything about direct and indirect forms of solar energy, the difference between the two and also we will be discussing all the significant forms of indirect solar energy. READ FULL POST
Types of Indirect Solar Energy
Most of the electric plants are producing electricity using indirect energy conversion processes.
Some ways to utilize solar energy are:
Wind
Wave/Tidal
Ocean Thermal
Hydro Energy
Geothermal Energy
Biomass
WIND ENERGY
Wind turbines are used to convert wind energy into electricity. The flow of the wind produces kinetic energy that rotates turbine blades and thus, electricity is generated.
Wind speed and air density are the factors that affect the amount of energy generated by a wind turbine.
- Biomass Energy
Due to the process of photosynthesis, plants receive energy from the sun, and then they are used in the production of biomass.
Biomass includes plants, starch, manures, and food crops like corn and sugarcane, etc.
Biogas is a combustible gas mixture that is produced from the fermentation of biomass by bacteria.
Thus, Biomass energy is one form of indirect solar energy.
Biomass is used to produce steam (biogas) in a biomass power plant.
This steam runs the turbine and makes electricity from waste.
- Ocean Thermal Energy
When sun radiations fall on the surface of the ocean, the temperature of the water on the surface of the ocean increases while the temperature deep into the ocean remains cold.
This results in temperature differences in the ocean layers and the differences are used in generating electricity.
- Hydro Energy
When rainwater gets vaporized by solar heat and gets condensed in the form of clouds which then turn out as rain or snow over the mountains.
This water runs down with potential energy and converts into hydropower in the hydel power plant.
The accelerated water is used to spin the blades of the turbine. These turbines then convert mechanical energy into electricity.
To read more, visit solarfunda.com