ABSTRACT
Solar energy can be used in several different ways to provide people with a readily available power source. Basic and early uses of solar energy include using the sun for common tasks such as drying clothes, curing meat, and heating water. In the past few decades, solar energy has been used in residential and commercial settings to power heating and cooling systems such as air conditioners, furnaces, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and water heaters. A common method of harnessing the sun’s energy for these uses is photovoltaics— a process of using solar cells to convert light directly into electricity. This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book covers the basics of solar energy. It shows the relevant equations and calculations in the text, programmed using Microsoft Excel.
