PV Gap

Irma Said:

how to create an apparautus to convert solar energy into electrical energy.?

We Answered:

Its called a photoelectric cell, and its a bit too sophisticated to be fabricated by an individual tinkerer.

Ron Said:

how to convert solar energy to electrical energy ?

We Answered:

There are two ways to convert solar radiation to electricity - directly, with a solid state device that absorbs photons and releases electrons, and indirectly, by absorbing the solar energy in some other way and using the heat to do the work of producing electricity "conventionally".)

Solar energy is delivered mostly as visible light, so a medium that can absorb photons at most visible wavelengths would be best. This does not yet exist: neither plants nor engineers have developed such a medium. In addition, direct conversion is possible only during the period that the site is in daylight, so a mechanism for storing energy to operate "in the dark" is required for the sun to provide "base load" power.

Solar thermal systems can store energy, but no commercial system has been demonstrated that can collect solar energy by day, continue to use it overnight, and have enough left at daybreak to carry on until solar input picks up again. Otherwise, a solar turbine would work like any steam turbine - the stored heat is used to make steam, the steam turns the generator, there is your electricity. The trick is collecting and storing enough heat to make the steam pressure required to generate electricity. Research on this is underway.