instal·lacions industrials fagom s.l. |
 Solar energy is a renewable, clean, ecological energy source and also the most cost-effective.
It can be divided into two types: |
It can be divided into two types 1. Solar photovoltaic 2. Solar thermal    |
1. What is solar photovoltaic energy?
Photovoltaic conversion is based on the photoelectric effect, that is to say the direct transformation of light energy from the sun into electrical energy.
When a specific material is lit up with the visible part of the solar spectrum, some of the electrons which make up its atoms absorb the energy of the light photons, thus releasing themselves from the forces which bind them to the nucleus and achieving freedom of movement. This space left behind by the electrons attracts any other electron which is free. If you want to turn this movement of electrons into electricity you need to steer the movement of the electrons by creating an electrical field in the material.
Through installations connected up to the grid so that all the electricity you generate flows onto it. In other words, you sell the energy you generate to an electricity company which by law has to buy the electricity at a subsidized price. You don’t actually use the energy from your transformer station, but instead sell all of it at very good subsidised price. One of the main reasons the Spanish government is pushing this is so that it can meet its Kyoto commitments, and hence it is giving a major boost to solar photovoltaic energy installations.
The estimated return on these generator plants is around 10% per year. The forecast for solar photovoltaic energy growth in the Catalan Energy Plan for 2006-2015 is for it to reach 100 MWp installed by 2015.
2. What is solar thermal energy?
Solar thermal energy involves making direct use of solar radiation through heating or calorific energy. A solar thermal energy installation basically consists of a field of solar collectors, a set of thermally-insulated pipelines and a water accumulator device.
With thermal installations you can substantially cut down on your electricity bills. Using a very easy to install system of solar collectors, you can operate systems at low temperatures, that is to say produce hot sanitary water, heat swimming pools and even operate central heating at capture temperatures of below 100ºC. Remember that most of the energy used in a house goes on heating water which is subsequently used for a variety of purposes including central heating.
It is estimated that by the end of 2006, some 120,000 m2 of thermal collectors supplying solar thermal energy were installed and operating in Catalonia.
Recently there has been enormous growth in solar thermal energy, thanks in large part to the widespread introduction of by-laws by local councils encouraging solar thermal energy use.
Since the first two ‘solar by-laws’ were brought in in 1999 in Barcelona and Sant Joan Despí, many other local councils have followed in their footsteps. By the end of 2006, there were 55 such by-laws around Catalonia which cover more than 60% of the population. This example has also been followed by other cities such as Madrid and Seville, and has sparked off a lot of interest around the world with similar initiatives already in place in Italy and Australia.
FAGOM SL, Instalaciones industriales
Lluís Companys, 66 - 08400 GRANOLLERS
Tel. +34 93 879 25 33 - Fax +34 93 870 54 62