Uses of Solar Energy

India has a plenty of natural resources and of course, the solar radiation is present in abundance. Solar energy can be used for various purposes such as domestic space heating, water heating, drying, water pumping and direct generation of electricity. Solar water heaters are very good energy conservation and energy efficient equipments which can supply hot water at 60-70°C for both domestic and industrial use.

Main components of solar water heater system are:

A typical solar water heater

Solar Collector (to collect solar energy)

Insulated tank (to store hot water)

Supporting stand

Connecting pipes and instrumentation etc. 

A single collector system of 2 sq.m. area can deliver approximately 100 liters of hot water at 60°C. Insulated hot water storage tanks can also be installed as a backup for the rainy and cloudy weather days.

Solar water heating system be very effectively and efficiently used in hospitals, educational institutes, dairy and hotel industries and the corporate offices. This way the solar energy can be utilized commercially with great savings in the electricity bills.

It can also be used in agriculture sector for irrigation purpose through water pumps thereby reducing the use of diesel and electricity operated conventional water pump sets. Solar energy operated water pumps are reliable, easy to install and have a very low maintenance cost. 

Power generation by solar energy is gaining impetus all over the world. Solar energy is converted to power/electricity by using an array of Solar Photovoltaic Cells. This electrical energy can either be stored in batteries or used directly for the electrical appliances.