, Because no life could exist on earth without the sun's energy, solar energy, is as old as life. Even centuries ago residential premises were often built to take advantage of the warmth of the sun. Dried fruits and other food and water evaporates from brine, to leave Sol. Earlier in the twentieth century, solar collectors were used to heat domestic hot water. As a sharp increase in the cost of energy from fossil fuels in the mid-1970s and prospects of further growth of solar energy has become a subject of particular interest as one of renewable resources. ....
Some of the areas of study and application of solar energy include direct conversion of solar energy into electricity, high-temperature collectors suitable for operating power generators, low-temperature flat-plate collectors, and design of buildings to use solar energy in a passive manner. Since the time of the day at which solar energy is available may not coincide perfectly with the demand for energy, thermal storage should be an integral component of the design of solar energy systems.
This chapter is an introduction to the study of solar energy and is intended to equip the engineer for making rough calculations of the potential for a solar system, for communication with the solar expert, and for elevating the awareness of the possibility of using solar energy in an installation. The key topics are solar geometry (the relationship of the sun's rays with a surface on earth) and solar intensity on these surfaces. Since glass is a key material in solar work, the response of glass to the sun's rays is explored. These topics provide insight for predicting the performance of a flat-plate fixed collector and the behavior of windows in a building using solar energy passively. Finally the chapter treats the integration of the solar collection equipment with storage and with the environmental system of the building.
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