Solar Thermal Systems
| Solar Water Heating | Solar Air Heating | Solar Thermal Electricity |
Unlike photovoltaic solar systems, which use light energy to create electricity, solar thermal systems gather solar radiation to heat air or water for domestic, commercial or industrial use. Solar thermal is one of the most cost-effective renewable energy technologies. Some examples of solar thermal applications include pool heating, hot water heating, and space heating. The technology used to gather solar radiation varies depending on the system.
Solar Thermal Water Heating Systems
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Solar Thermal Air Heating Systems
Solar thermal space heating
A solar space-heating system can heat or cool the air inside a home, office, or building. It can consist of a passive system, an active system, or a combination of both. Passive systems are typically less costly and less complex than active systems. However, when retrofitting a building, active systems might be the only option for obtaining solar energy.
Passive Solar Heating
Passive solar heating is the absorption of solar energy in a building to reduce the energy required to warm the habitable areas (i.e. to contribute to space heating). Passive solar space heating takes advantage of warmth from the sun through design features, such as large south-facing windows, and materials in the floors or walls that absorb warmth during the day and release that warmth at night when it is needed most. A sunspace or greenhouse is a good example of a passive system for solar space heating. Air is normally used to circulate and distribute the collected energy, generally without the use of pumps or fans. The collector may be an integral part of the building, perhaps designed as part of an architectural feature that provides light and heat. Indeed, the air flow generated can be used as a means of ventilating the building, or even cooling it by drawing in cooler air to replace upwardly moving solar heated air. Passive solar thermal space heating may be advantageous in off-grid buildings or in cases where the grid electricity supply is unreliable. 
Active Solar Heating
Active solar space-heating systems consist of collectors that collect and absorb solar radiation combined with electric fans or pumps to transfer and distribute that solar heat. Active systems can also have an energy-storage system to provide heat when the sun is not shining. The two basic types of active solar space-heating systems use either liquid or air as the heat-transfer medium in their solar energy collectors.
Solar Thermal Electricity Generation
Solar thermal energy can be collected at large scale and used to heat a transfer fluid that can then power a steam turbine to generate electricity. Sunlight may be collected using huge mirror arrays focused on to a receiver at the top of a tower or, at the other extreme, may be based on the temperature gradient produced when sunlight impinges on a "solar pond" (a large salty lake) and heats the water at its base.
