Solar Energy System products for sale online in Zambia

Solar energy is the cleanest and most available renewable energy source. A solar energy system is an assembly of interacting pieces of equipment designed to collect solar radiation, store the collected energy, and distribute it as needed. A solar energy system works in such a way that roof-mounted solar panel systems absorb and convert the energy-packed photons of natural sunlight into a usable energy form. The main components of a solar energy system are photovoltaic panels, a DC to AC power converter and a rack system that holds the PV panels in place. Browse through this category for various solar energy systems available in Zambian stores.

Types of solar energy - Solar thermal (for heating) Concentrated solar power (for electricity) Solar Photovoltaics (electricity)

• Photovoltaic Solar Energy.
• Concentrated Solar Energy.
• Water Heating Solar Energy.
• Solar Pool Heating. .
• Thermal Solar Energy.

There are two main types of solar energy technologies—photovoltaics (PV) and concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP).

Like water and air, the Sun is one of the Earth’s life support systems, providing heat and light. Solar energy, which is renewable, widely available and clean, provides enough energy to meet the world’s annual consumption needs every 50 minutes. The challenge is to collect a share – however small – of this heat and radiant energy.

Two major technologies have been developed to harness it:

Photovoltaic solar technology, which directly converts sunlight into electricity using panels made of semiconductor cells.

Solar thermal technology, which captures the sun’s heat. This heat is used directly or converted into mechanical energy and in turn electricity, known as concentrated solar power . This heat is used directly (low‑temperature solar thermal) or converted into mechanical energy and in turn electricity (concentrated solar power – CSP).

Two different types of installations are used:

Individual systems for homes or small communities. Photovoltaic panels can power electrical devices, while solar thermal collectors can heat homes or hot water

Large units, "solar power plants", whether photovoltaic or thermodynamic, deployed over hundreds of hectares, produce electricity on a large scale that can be fed into the grid.

It is this great flexibility, both the power of large plants supplying cities and industries, and the ability to supply electricity locally, that makes solar energy so attractive, particularly in developing countries where 1.3 billion people have no access to distribution networks. Isolated villages benefit from lighting, groundwater pumping (drinking water, irrigation), telecommunications systems (radio, television, mobile phone) and electrical appliances (refrigerator, sewing machine, etc.).

Photovoltaic Solar Power

The photovoltaic effect converts light into electricity. It was discovered by French physicist Edmond Becquerel in 1839 and was first used in industrial applications in 1954. The principle: an electric current occurs when electrons are displaced. For this to happen, photons (light particles) excite the outermost electrons of the atoms of certain semiconductor elements.

In practice, light hitting a photovoltaic cell is converted into electricity by a semiconductor, generally silicon . A photovoltaic panel is made up of several cells producing direct current, which is then converted into alternating current by an inverter.

The modules, assembled in panels, can be used in small systems or large plants.