The solar power is the technology used to harness the energy of the sun and convert it into electrical energy. Solar power is considered a renewable energy source because there is no limit to the amount of sunlight that can be used to generate electricity. There are two types of solar power systems: photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP). PV systems use solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity, while CSP systems use mirrors or lenses to concentrate sunlight onto a small area to generate heat, which is then used to create steam that drives an electric turbine.
Solar power has been around for centuries, but it only began to be used for electricity generation in the last few decades. The first photovoltaic cell was built in 1839 by French physicist Alexandre Edmond Becquerel, but it was not until 1954 that Bell Labs developed the first practical PV cell. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter installed 32 PV panels on the White House roof as a symbol of his commitment to renewable energy, and since then PV installations have grown rapidly around the world. As of 2012, there were more than 100 GW (gigawatts) of installed PV capacity worldwide, enough to generate about 1% of global electricity demand.
CSP plants were first developed in the 1980s, but growth has been slower due largely to their higher costs compared with PV plants. As of 2012, there was just over 2 GW of installed CSP capacity worldwide. However, this is expected to grow rapidly in coming years as prices fall and countries look for ways to increase their use of renewable energy sources.
There are many benefits associated with solar power. It is a clean source of energy that does not produce greenhouse gas emissions or other pollutants when generating electricity. Solar power also requires very little water for operation compared with other thermal power plants such as coal or nuclear plants. In addition, solar power plants have a much smaller footprint than other types of power plants because they do not require large amounts of land for fuel production or storage