There are two ways to generate solar power.
The light-heat-electric conversion method
The light-heat-motion-electricity conversion method generates electricity by using the thermal energy generated by solar radiation. Generally, the solar collector converts the absorbed thermal energy into the steam of the working medium, and then drives the steam turbine to generate electricity. The former process is the light-thermal conversion process; the latter process is the heat-dynamic conversion into electricity and the final conversion process, which is the same as the ordinary thermal power generation. The disadvantage of solar thermal power generation is that the efficiency is very low and the cost is high. It is estimated that its investment At least 5 to 10 times more expensive than ordinary thermal power stations.
The light-electricity direct conversion method.
Light-to-electricity direct conversion method This method uses the photoelectric effect to directly convert solar radiation energy into electrical energy. The basic device for light-to-electricity conversion is solar cells. A solar cell is a device that directly converts sunlight energy into electrical energy due to the photovoltaic effect. It is a semiconductor photodiode. When the sun shines on the photodiode, the photodiode will convert the sun's light energy into electrical energy and generate electricity. current. When many cells are connected in series or in parallel, it can become a solar cell array with relatively large output power.
Solar cells are a promising new type of power source with three major advantages: permanence, cleanliness and flexibility. Solar cells have a long life. As long as the sun exists, solar cells can be used for a long time with one investment; from the perspective of power generation, it is similar to thermal power generation. In contrast, solar cells do not cause environmental pollution.