Division of Energy
Using Solar Energy - What is Solar Energy?
Solar Energy Main Page | What is Solar Energy? | How Much Solar Energy is Available? |
How Can Solar Energy Be Used in Missouri? | Energy Efficiency |
Daylighting and Passive Solar Building Design | Solar Water Heating | Backup Systems |
Collector Positioning | Active Systems | Net Metering | Designing a System | Siting | Installation |
Solar Contacts | Solar Thermal Equipment Performance Ratings | Bibliography
Most of us think of solar energy as sunlight, and that is correct. In addition to the portion of solar radiation that the human eye can see as sunlight, the spectrum includes other forms of energy including ultraviolet light and infrared radiation. We use solar energy either as light energy, which can also be turned into electric current by what are called photovoltaic cells, or as heat, also called thermal energy.
