Passive Solar

• According to "The Citizen-Powered Energy Handbook," by Greg Pahl, there are two basic ways to use solar power to collect heat for your home. The two types of heat-based solar energy systems are called passive and active. In passive systems, the home is built in a way that uses the angles of roofing and walls to best make use of heat from the sun. Passive systems should also include a way to control the heat if the sun begins to produce too much heat energy in the house. Control systems for passive heat can be as simple as opening a window or vent to clear some heat from the house.
  
  

Active Solar

• Active solar power uses a system to pump heat gathered in one place to another location where it can be used. According to "The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy", by Dan Chriras, at its core, active solar power requires a collector and a means of propelling the heat where it needs to go. An active system can be as simple as a fan blowing hot air down from a solar panel on the roof into the living area of a home. Other methods of active solar heating include using solar heating to heat water that is pumped into a pool. Active solar energy strategies usually include a means for storing energy.
  
  

Solar Electricity

• Solar electricity is collected using photovoltaic technology. Literally translated as "light electricity," photovoltaic (PV) technology employs special cells containing a type of plastic that converts solar electricity to direct current (DC) electricity. You may recognize DC electricity as the type of electricity found in batteries. To use PV electricity to power a home, you must also use an inverter, which changes the DC power to alternating current (AC) power. AC is the type of electric current that powers homes and businesses through the electric grid.
  
  

Cell Technology

• Solar cell technology has proven to be bulky, and requires a large amount of space to collect enough electricity to provide a significant amount of power. The U.S. Department of Energy's Green Living division claims the solar cell technology has improved and that more efficient cells have been developed, cells that can collect more energy. Improvement in the technology will make solar electricity more accessible to homes and businesses with limited space to implement alternative energy technology. Any improvement that allows for greater energy collection from cells that take up less and less space will increase the pool of users for which the technology is viable.
  
  

Benefits

• Using solar energy can save you money on your heating bills. Solar energy is a clean, renewable source of energy. If you have a solar panel in a state with a program for "Net Metering," you can supply energy back to the grid with your PV panel and receive a credit from the electric company for the supplied electricity. You can make the most of your monthly budget by cutting your use of purchased electricity and heating by employing a combination of passive, active and PV solar energy in your home or business. See Resources for more information about your state's "Net Meter" guidelines.