sol-, soli-, solo- +

A large-scale solar collector that is capable of creating highly concentrated solar energy (typically by means of an array of large curved mirrors) in order to produce extremely high temperatures at a localized site; such as, the Odello solar furnace (the world's largest solar furnace located in the eastern Pyrenees region of France).

It generates temperature in the range of 800-2500 degrees centigrade, and is used for research on solar materials and solar energy conversion.

The amount of energy that a building absorbs due to solar energy striking its exterior and conducting to the interior, or by passing through windows and being absorbed by materials in the building.

A stand-alone electrical power supply system for single buildings by means of solar energy, typically used to operate small appliances in rural areas without electrification.

The use of solar thermal technologies to produce hot air, water, or steam for industrial purposes, generally at temperatures below 250 degrees centigrade.

The fulgent power output of the sun or any other star: Tom and the other astronomers used highly technical telescopes to study the changes or variations of the solar luminosity during the phases of the calendar year.

The precise moment of the day that divides the daylight hours for that day exactly in half.

The local time of day when the sun crosses the observer's meridian.

1. Solar One was an early solar power plant operating from 1982 to 1986 in Barstow, California.

It was composed of a solar receiver located on top of a tower surrounded by a field of reflectors.

2. Solar Two uses advanced molten-salt technology to overcome energy storage problems that lowered the efficiency of Solar One.

An individual unit in a solar collector; such as, a device that collects solar energy from incident radiation.

Typically a sun-oriented box with a transparent cover, containing water tubes or air baffles under a blackened heat-absorbent pane.

A solar energy device having a parabola-shaped (curve formed) reflector (trough) that focuses the sun's direct beam radiation onto a linear receiver located at the focus of the parabola.

A heat transfer fluid is heated as it circulates through the receiver, with the captured energy used to generate steam for power generation or for process heat.

A small artificial lake used to collect solar energy, which can then be removed from the pond in the form of useful heat, or an external heat exchanger, or a heat exchanger placed on the bottom of the pond, which converts the thermal energy into electricity.

A proposed system to supply power from space for use on the earth.

The SPS system, or solar power satellite system, would have a huge array of solar cells that would generate electrical power to be beamed to earth in the form of microwave energy sent to a central receiver.

An energy conversion system that uses a large field of independently adjustable mirrors (heliostats) to focus solar rays on a near single point on the top of a fixed tower (receiver).

The use of solar energy to partially heat a substance; such as, domestic drinking water, prior to heating it to a higher desired temperature with conventional fuel.

All the constituents that make up the total electromagnetic radiation emitted y the sun; about 99 percent of solar radiation is contained in a wavelength region from about 300 nanometers (ultraviolet) to 3,000 nanometers (near-infrared).

The amount of solar insolation that a given site receives, usually measured in kilowatt hours per square meter per day.