Although most research into the use of solar energy in recent years has been on photovoltaic technology, where sunlight is converted directly into electricity, there are many applications of solar thermal energysuch as heating, drying and water distillation.

Many solar thermal technologies have existed for centuries and are well understood. They have established manufacturing bases in many sun-rich countries. Unlike photovoltaic technologies manufacturing can be done on a small scale without using expensive equipment.

How does Solar Thermal Energy work?

The basic mechanism of solar thermal energy is to collect the solar radiation and transfer the heat directly or indirectly to its final destination via a heat transfer medium – usually a fluid.

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