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Explains the Science behind solar cooking.

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Explains the Science behind solar cooking.

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Great resource for specifics about solar cooking!

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Solar Cooking Tips: How to Become Proficient

It really is not difficult to master the skill or art of solar cooking. Many of the same skills that you use for traditional cooking methods will serve just fine when applied to solar cooking. The two biggest factors that will have much bearing on your cooking effectiveness will probably be time constraints (including weather) as well as efficiency in preparing and putting your ingredients together.

Are you a solar cook?...Share some of your own tips, tricks, techniques, and ideas on how you have gotten more out of your solar cookers and recipes. Share your tips
Time constraints will be determined by time of year, time of day and also hours available for most effective cooking .
The most ideal time of the day for cooking in a solar cooker is between the hours of 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM, this being possible in the summer time when the sun is directly overhead for a longer period of the day. In the middle of Winter your "ideal" time will be reduced to between roughly 11:30 to 2:30 PM.

(In the middle of the summer I have started my cooking as early as 8:30 AM and have gone as late as 6:30 PM and was able to cook several dishes in one day in only one cooker. I do now have more than one solar cooker in my collection, which enables me to cook even larger quantities.)

From mid fall on through to mid spring, ideal cooking time is reduced as the sun continues to fall further into the southern horizon here in the United States. Ideal times would be more along the lines of 11:00 AM, and later, to about 3:00 PM, or earlier. This does not mean that you need to put the cooker away for the winter; it just means a little bit more ingenuity is required to take advantage of the cooking time available.

Granted, some people will have more challenges cooking because of home and work schedules, and that is fine, and you shouldn't replace the kitchen stove due to your new found source of harnessing the sun's energy. Look at the available opportunities you do have for solar cooking as unique periods of learning, experiment and enjoyment. The time will come when you will find further opportunities to use your solar cooker more and more often.

You can expect clouds to be a solar cooking challenge anywhere you might live, and even here in the desert we have our cloudy days. But, you can "squeeze in" some quick solar cooking with some of your fastest cookers, such as I did here with the Solar Burner and a quick batch of popcorn.

Then, there are those who have challenges with the weather itself. Within some areas of the United States there are those who enjoy a whole lot more sunny days than other areas, and some areas of the world are better than others, but this does not mean that a person in England or Seattle cannot enjoy the benefits and joys of solar cooking. In fact, within these same places and others similar in weather; there are quite a few people who have been solar cooking for many years and doing very well with it. They just might not be able to do it as often as someone living in Phoenix Arizona or the Sudan in Africa.

Now, more on the matter of efficiency while using a solar cooker

Organizational hints for solar cooking:

Decide on your menus ahead of time; plan out your week, and particularly which meals you will prepare and cook in a solar cooker.

Prep most of the ingredients ahead of time and even the day before so that you can have them when you are ready to use them.

Pre heat your solar cookers an hour or two before having to use them.

Because the time necessary for solar cooking can be longer, depending on the dish, you can schedule, and perform other tasks and chores in and around meal preparation steps.

Use a timer for food preparation and cooking time in order to be more efficient and stay on schedule.

Use a food thermometer if you are unsure of temperatures for proper food safety.

Pre heat your solar oven and pans depending upon foods to be cooked.

Pre soak legumes(beans) and some grains the day before cooking,as well as marinating an preparing many of your meats.

You can fit a regular size muffin tray into the Sun Oven by placing it in depth wise as opposed to the narrower width wise. And you can "bake" bacon rather than fry it, by laying it out in strips in your solar oven. It takes a bit longer but it cooks perfectly fine.

Even when cooking by conventional means, much time and effort is saved when you cut down on time consuming steps and unnecessary running around when preparing your meals.

The number one factor for the best cooking results is to make sure you start cooking your food as early as possible. More food requires more time.
* Variations are due to the kind or style of solar cooker being used and the quality of the manufacture as well as quantity of food and daily sunshine conditions.

Bread-from 40-70 minutes (one to two loaves at a time)

Muffins, cupcakes, dinner rolls- from 20-60 minutes

Cakes- from 45-70 minutes

Cookies- from 10-20 minutes (depending on type of cookie)

Eggs-poached in preheated oven 20 minutes. Hard boiled (baked) 30-60 minutes depending on quantity

Roast- from 90 minutes to 5 hours (longer cook time at lower temps for moister, more tender meat)

Chicken- from 90 minutes to 4 hours (longer cook time at lower temps for moister, more tender meat)

Stews, soups, chili- from 90 minutes to six hours (longer cook time at lower temps for moister, more tender food)

Casseroles, enchiladas, lasagnas- from as little as 60 minutes to three hours

Dry Beans and other legumes can cook all day long whereas pastas usually are ready in 30 to 40 minutes depending on type of pasta and amount.

Soups, stews, chili, and meats can be left all day long in a solar cooker to slow cook just as you would using a Crockpot system.

Rice will usually cook within half an hour to an hour if you preheat your cooker and water, this applies to pasta also.

Many two and three step recipes can be prepared using just your solar cooker in not much more time than using conventional cooking techniques.

On long summer, perfect weather days, set your meal to cook when you leave in the late morning and arrive home a few hours later to a hot and ready lunch.

The more often you uncover your solar cooker the longer it takes to cook, take the lid off as little as is possible.

Remember you do not need to constantly tend to the cooking food, it can be left for long periods of time, and it is quite difficult to burn foods in a solar cooker.

If time is a major factor, consider cooking your dishes in stages, even over a two day period, refrigerating ingredients until final cook stage.

Size and amount of food can affect cook time. Do not fill cook pots more than two thirds full and cut up food portions into as small as possible pieces.

Foods that have high moisture content do not need added water to cook, water only increases cook time. Foods that need water such as rice, pasta etc. only need the requisite amount.

When cooking dishes that have harder vegetables such as potatoes or carrots, and softer vegetables such as spinach etc. Allow the harder ones to cook and tenderize sufficiently before adding the tender veggies, which require less time, in the final stages of the cooking process

Some solar cooking cook times for various foods in a solar oven or solar panel cooker:

I have baked Angel Food Cakes in 70 minutes, Chocolate cheesecakes in 90 minutes, pumpkin pies in 90 minutes, brownies in 60 minutes, Gingerbread cookies in 10 minutes, bacon in 2-4 hours (depending on amount) See our recipes page for ideas and times

Solar Parabolic cookers can cook food items much faster than solar ovens and panel cookers.

When used properly; a solar cooker can safely cook all kinds of foo d.

Extra care should be taken when cooking meats and legumes to assure that temperatures do not fall within the danger zone for creating harmful microbes such as bacteria or viruses. These harmful microbes can be killed when the food is heated to 65° C or 150° F, this is called pasteurization. When the food is heated to 82° C or 180° F or above it will begin to cook. After food is cooked it should be eaten as soon as possible after doing so, do not allow food to sit at room temperature for more than two to three hours

If you are not able to find black or darkened pots and pans for use in your solar cooker, you can cook your food in jars. Canning jars are preferable because they are designed for high pressure and heat. Regular clear jars can be used if you do not seal them too tightly in order to diminish the possibility of exploding. You can paint them black for better heat absorption.

For faster heat conductivity use thin, shallow, aluminum or steel, cooking vessels (preferably with a lid) and do not overload them.

For greater concentration and retention of heat inside of your solar oven, use oven cooking bags to enclose your jars or pots. It will also help to retain more of the food moisture.

Consider using a Hay Box to free up your solar cooker in order to cook more food, more quickly.

A hay box can be used to continue the already commenced cooking process that was started in your solar cooker without having to occupy it longer than necessary. Find out more on how to use a hay box

You might use a "lazy susan" on which to set your solar cooker so that you can easily turn your oven and track the sun without having to scrape it on the ground or suddenly jolt the oven and contents when turning it.

Remember to keep your reflector panels and your transparent door/cover clean, free from dirt and from marks. This will ensure a more effective concentration of the suns rays onto your cooking pot and food.

Want to solar cook pasta faster? Bring water to simmering in a pot in your solar cooker while separately heating the dry ingredients in another. When both are hot, combine them and cook for reduced amounts of time. The consistency of pasta is greatly improved by this method, particularly if a little oil is stirred into the pasta before heating.

Non-traditional solar cooker uses for your non-cooking needs

Solar Cooking a Pie; parts one and two

I just found your website on solar cooking. It is a great site.

Thanks for all the information.

I am working hard to learn more about this, and have many ovens I am testing (informally).

I would like to hear more about your classes. I live in Colorado, but I would like to hear more about how you teach this to others. Solar cooking is a great gateway to learning about clean energy.

I really enjoy your site. It is very educational. You do include all the issues of sustainability as well, and I appreciate this in addition to the other reasons people choose to use solar cookers.

I wish I could take your course!

Many thanks,
Mary Carhartt, Colorado

Do you have any Great Solar Cooking Tips?

Share with us and others your Tips, Suggestions, Ideas and methods for getting the most out of your solar cookers.

Share the best way to prepare and cook different foods such as...pastas, rice, meats, pastries etc.

Any Challenges with Wintertime Solar Cooking?
How do you brown foods?
How do you avoid over or under cooking rice?
How do you cook corn on the cob? etc.

What Other Solar Cooks Have shared

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

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It really is not difficult to master the skill or art of solar cooking. Many of the same skills that you use for traditional cooking methods will serve just fine when applied to solar cooking.

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during optimal conditions, when cooking foods that take less than 3-4 hours, it is not necessary to turn the box to follow the sun. however, by turning the box more often you can increase the efficiency of your oven. for foods such as beans, it is essential to turn the box at least once.

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Tips and Tricks for Cooking with Solar Ovens

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Tips and Tricks for Cooking with Solar Ovens

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During optimal conditions, when cooking foods that take less than 3-4 hours, it is not necessary to turn the box to follow the sun. However, by turning the box more often you can increase the efficiency of your oven. For foods such as beans, it is essential to turn the box at least once.

To achieve frying temperatures in a single reflector cooker elevate a shallow, dark pan (without a lid) so that it touches the glass inside. Then attach a small three-panel reflector that concentrates extra light onto this pan. Other food can be baked at the same time in the rest of the oven.

If black pots or paint are not available, cook in clear jars. When using jars other than canning jars, the lids should be loosely closed to prevent explosions.

If you are a single person cooking for yourself, or if you just want to experiment with solar energy, you can make your oven rather small. If you plan to cook for a family, then you will want to make yours close to the standard size (18" x 24" glazed opening) (45 cm x 60 cm), and you will want to make it more substantial to stand up to everyday use. One way to decide on the depth of your cooker is to measure the pans you will use. Make the cooker about 1" (2.5 cm) deeper than your pots are high (including lid).

To allow easy removal of unwanted condensation between the double panes of glass in a wooden cooker, drill one or more holes into the airspace from the side. Stop these holes up with corks during normal cooking. To clear condensation between the panes, remove the corks and allow the cooker to heat.

Build a cooker with the sides and glazing permanently attached. To open the cooker, lift this assembly off the base upon which the pots are resting.

In areas where theft might be a problem, attach the lid with hinges and a padlock.

In general, it's best to make your reflector as large as the entire lid -- not just the size of the glazed opening. This is true especially in areas far from the equator or when cooking during the winter. See "Minimum" Solar Box Cooker.

Panel Cookers

Foods should be cooked in dark pans or canning jars that have been painted black (use masking tape to make a viewing strip). Pots that are otherwise suitable but too light in color can be painted on the outside with the non-toxic when dry spray paint. If you also want to use the pots on a conventional stove, use the black paint that is made for barbecue grills. In some places people use blackboard paint to darken pots.

Pots or cooking jars need to be enclosed in an oven cooking bag or clear glass or plastic enclosure to help concentrate the heat. It is possible in some cases to just enclose the pot while leaving the lid exposed. Theoretically, the heat that is lost is made up for because you don't have to worry about condensation on the cooking cover blocking the sunlight.

For longer unattended cooking, when you start cooking, aim your cooker to the point where the sun will be in 1-2 hours.

If you are making something like a soup or stew that mixes hard vegetable (carrots or potatoes, for example) with tender ones (spinach or baby peas, for example), add the hard vegetables first. Wait until your soup is boiling and the harder vegetables have begun to tenderize before you add the tender vegetables (but don't wait until the sun is too low to get it all hot again).

Until you become confident with judging the sun and your cooker, vegetarian foods are safest.

Panel cookers make wonderful soup stocks! Just stuff a cooking jar with vegetable scraps (tough asparagus stems and leek tops are especially good) and/or remnants of roast chicken or other meat scraps and bones, add some salt, a little wine or vinegar (this pulls calcium out of the bones and into your soup stock), some garlic and/or onion, and any herbs and spices you think would be good. Let it cook for a day, then strain, skim fat if needed, and use for the next day's soup.

If it seems as though your food is not heating evenly, give the pot a half-turn now and then.

Each time you finish cooking in an oven bag (with a panel cooker), turn the bag inside out to allow it to dry. Then use it inside-out the next time you cook.

Be careful to not cover the cooking food with aluminum foil , as it will redirect the heat away from the pot.

The single biggest reason for failure in solar cooking is not putting in the food early enough in the day. For this reason, it's best to follow the advice and "Get it on early, and don't worry about overcooking!"

Foods take longer to cook when there is smog or haze. Since the clarity of the air can make as big a difference as the sun angle, learn to check out the color of the sky and adjust time accordingly. At times the sun may be shining, but the sky is white, indicating that smog or haze are present. A blue sky indicates clear air.

While some cooking can be done in any non-reflective pot, ones made from thin, black metal work best. Cast iron works but its weight can delay cooking or inhibit it completely during marginal conditions. Shallow pans cook better than deep ones.

If materials are scarce, build ovens made from papier maché held together with wheat paste . This can then be painted to make it waterproof. If sufficient paper is not available, try using corn husks or some other crop residue.

A cardboard cooker can be made water-proof using glue and wax (beeswax or candle wax):

Cover the outside of the cooker with pieces of cloth that have been dipped in white glue or wheatpaste. Make sure the cloth adheres everywhere, applying extra glue to the loose spots. Allow to dry completely.

For an alternative method that is much less messy and results in a smoother, better appearance, coat the relevant cooker surface with a thick but not dripping layer of white glue (a sponge brush works very well for this). Lay the fabric on the glue and smooth with a pad of paper towel. When fabric is lined up and smoothed out satisfactorily, use the sponge brush to completely cover the fabric with a generous amount of glue, making sure that the fabric is completely saturated with glue. Another layer of glue can be added once the first layer is dry, if it seems to need it.

Rub a generous amount of wax over the entire cloth surface paying special attention to the seams.

Heat the cooker near a fire or inside a larger solar cooker or other oven until the wax melts into the cloth. If the weather is warm and sunny, a parked car can also be used to melt the wax into the cloth.

Repeat steps two and three until you are sure that beeswax has saturated the cloth completely. This process also strengthens a cardboard cooker to a significant degree. Testing is needed to see how these materials hold up over time.

When arranging transport of solar ovens from a large city to rural users, Dick Wareham recommends finding free space on trucks heading back out into the rural areas after delivering their load of produce or other products in the city.

Solar cookers as gardening equipment: 1) Gallon cans of dried manure or soil can be pasteurized to 150 degrees to kill wild seeds and insect eggs. 2) Plant material infected with insects, nematodes, or viruses can be cooked and dried in a solar oven and made safe to return to the garden or compost heap. This is particularly useful for greenhouses or urban gardeners. 3) Metal instruments can be sterilized as well as ceramic pots and wooden flats. 4) Water can be warmed in the field to soften plastic dripline fittings. 5) Pruning instruments can be sanitized either with dry heat or oiled and steamed.

Some alternative cooking pots:

Smoked-glass casserole dishes. Pyrex makes a low-cost model available for $5 - $10 in stores in the US.

Rough up glass jars with sandpaper and paint these black. Use masking tape to leave one clear strip for viewing.

Cook in gourds with a small sheet of glass for a lid.

Put shiny pots in a brown paper sack.

Paint a shallow cake pan black and fashion a lid from a sheet of black-painted aluminum flashing with its edges folded down.

Buy dark baking pans in matched pairs and use one upside-down as a lid for the other. Metal binder clips of the right size-medium to large range, depending on the pan rims-work well for holding them securely together.

Where large cardboard boxes are hard to find, you can glue together small boxes to form a larger cardboard sheet that can be folded into the shape of a larger box.

When cooking uncovered cake or bread, sprinkle cinnamon on top to darken the surface and catch more sun. Doughs and batters containing eggs and milk will brown more readily.

Heat dry grain in an SBC before storage to kill off any insect larva or eggs.

We have learned with Rocket Stove experiments that floating a small amount of cooking oil on the surface of the food increases the efficiency of the stove significantly by preventing evaporation (which accounts for significant heat loss). In dishes such as rice or beans where some oil will be placed in the recipe anyway, try putting the oil on top and stirring it in later.

There is very little different about cooking in a solar box apart from doubling cooking time and leaving water out when cooking fresh vegetables or meats. All foods are cooked in dark covered pots except for roasting nuts and some baking. Use your own recipes and spices. By making small adjustments in time or the amount of water, your favorite foods taste as good or better than ever. The following approximate times are for 4-5 servings. Increase cooking times for larger amounts.

COOKED DRIED CEREALS AND GRAINS - (barley, corn, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, wheat) : 2 hours. Start with usual amount of water. Next time adjust to your taste. If your sky conditions are less than ideal, you may have better luck if you preheat the water and grain separately, as suggested for pasta. This is especially helpful if the grain is either very slow to tenderize (brown rice, hulled but not pearled barley) or gets mushy easily (quinoa, millet). To learn about using barely-sprouted grains and beans, which take to sun cooking very well, see Sprouting seeds and grains.

VEGETABLES - Add no water. Artichokes: 2 1/2 hours; Asparagus: 1 1/2 - 2 hours; Other fresh green vegetables: 1-1 1/2 hours. If cooked longer they will taste fine but lose their nice green color. Beans - dried: 3-5 hours. Usual amount of water, can be soaked ahead of time; Beets, Carrots, Potatoes and other root vegetables: 3 hours. Cabbage, eggplant: 1 1/2 hours if cut up. Eggplant turns brownish, like a cut apple, but the flavor is good; Corn on the cob: 1 - 1 1/2 hours. The corn kernels will fade slightly if left longer in direct sunlight. The husk will hold the moisture in and protect the kernels naturally. A clean black sock can be put over an ear of corn to help absorb heat for faster cooking time. Squash, zucchini: 1 hour. Will turn mushy if left longer.

EGGS - Add no water. Two hours for hard yolks. If cooked longer the whites turn brownish, but the flavor is the same.

MEATS - Add no water. If cooked longer they just get more tender. Fish: 1-2 hours; Chicken: 2 hours cut up, 3 hours whole; Beef, Lamb, etc.: 2 hours cut up, 3 - 5 hours for large pieces; Turkey, large, whole: all day

PASTA - Heat water in one pot and put dry pasta with a small amount of cooking oil in another pot, and heat until water is near boiling. Add hot pasta to hot water, stir, and cook about 10 minutes more.

BAKING - is best done in the middle of the day (9 or 10 am - 2 or 3 pm) Breads: Whole loaves - 3 hours; Cakes: 1 1/2 hours; Cookies: 1 - 1 1/2 hours. Do NOT need to be covered. Avoid bottom crusts - they get soggy. Black socks can also be used to cover foil-wrapped garlic/herb breads. Takes awhile for the heat to work through, but with the sock to dull the foil it eventually will, and the sun makes wonderful fresh garlic bread.

SAUCES & GRAVIES MADE WITH FLOUR OR STARCH - Heat juices and flour separately, with or without a little cooking oil in the flour. Then combine and stir. It will be ready quickly.

ROASTING NUTS - Bake uncovered. Almonds: 1 hour, Peanuts: 2 hours.

TYPICAL COOKING TIMES FROM Solar Cookers: How to make, use, and enjoy, Solar Cookers International, 2004

SUGAR CARAMELIZATION - Sugar may be caramelized in a pot/pan, or in a box cooker. The usual temperatures in standard cookbooks can be a bit too high for solar cooking; the slow heating of solar cookers means more time is spent at a given temperature, so various stages of caramelization actually happen at lower temperatures than on a conventional stovetop. Roughly, browning (in a box cooker) begins at 140 °C (284 °F). Once the temperature starts to get above 149 °C (300 °F), the sugar will start to burn.

See main article: Guidelines and cooking tips

Cooking times

Many factors affect the length of time it takes to cook things in a solar cooker. In a super efficient solar oven that can reach temperatures similar to a household oven, times should be similar (though some of the special flavors will be lost). In most homemade panel or funnel cookers or box ovens, cooking is a slower, gentler process that generally takes two to five times as long, but the food tastes better, is more nutritious, and needs very little fussing (sometimes none) while cooking.

Factors That Can Affect Cooking Time

Sunshine - Cooking is fastest when you can see your shadow most of the time and your shadow is shorter than you are. Cooking is possible with some clouds or haze, but times will be slower.

Solar Cooker - Some solar cookers cook faster than others. The ratio of food + pot to the surface area of the reflectors can affect cooking time as well, and in an enclosed box oven you need room for the hot air to circulate and the UVs to bounce around. Your panel or funnel cooker needs to be decidedly bigger than your pot, and there should to be some space between or around items in a box oven. An overloaded cooker will cook slowly if at all.

Cooking Vessels - Darker pots heat up faster. Pots with thin walls that conduct heat well heat up faster. Shallow pots get hot faster than deep pots. Splitting a big batch of something into two pots (either in your box oven or using two panel or funnel cookers) will get it done more quickly, too. Blackened canning jars (use masking tape to leave a viewing strip) often cook the fastest because of the slight pressurization.

Food - Small amounts of food cook faster than large amounts. Foods cut into small pieces cook faster than large pieces. Equal pots of stew (veggies and meat cut large) and soup (veggies and meat cut smaller) might get hot at about the same rate, but the stew will take a longer time of simmering for the vegetable and meat to tenderize. A whole roast or chicken will take more time to get done than chicken or meat cut into pieces.

What This Means In Practical Terms

The general rule in solar cooking is to get the food out early and don't worry too much about overcooking. Most foods need little tending or stirring, so except for turning the cooker a little every hour or two (for some things you can just point the cooker south and not even worry about turning it), you can just go on with your day doing other things while the sun takes care of your food. While there are a few things that can be overcooked in a solar cooker (vegetables such as tender greens, broccoli, and asparagus, or soft fruits, for example), most foods will only get more tender and flavorful. If time is an issue, choose foods accordingly. If the forecast is less than ideal or you want to eat your main meal earlier in the day, choose foods that will cook more quickly.

Save foods like whole chickens or roasts for bright, sunny days when you can get the food out early and leave it until the rays start to lengthen and temperatures begin to drop, and use a meat thermometer if at all possible, to make sure the interior has reached a safe temperature. If the food doesn't quite get done, you can switch to Heat-retention cooking if the food is still at boiling temperatures (if not, heat briefly on the stove to get it back to the boiling point and then move to a heat retention cooker), or you can finish the food in a low oven or slow cooker or on a stove burner turned down low. If food is done but it's not time to eat yet, you can keep the food warm by heat retention means or you can cool it and reheat it briefly (which is still way less fuel or power use than actually cooking the food) on your stove.

As for when to check on the food, if skies are clear and you haven't overloaded your cooker, check it at twice the time recommended for conventional cooking and judge accordingly. For less-than-ideal skies or slower cooking foods, give it longer. If you can get one of the digital thermometers that have a metal probe attached to a long silicone-covered wire that leads to the base where you read the temperatures (under $20. at Wal-Mart) and that can track minimum and maximum temperatures, you can just put it in many foods (center and relatively near the top, since most things tend to cook from the sides in and the bottom up in a solar cooker, so kind of slant it in) and track how your food is doing without having to open the cooker and lose heat to check.

External links

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There is very little different about cooking in a solar box apart from doubling cooking time and leaving water out when cooking fresh vegetables or meats. All foods are cooked in dark covered pots except for roasting nuts and some baking. Use your own recipes and spices.

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Great resource of info from wikipedia! Be sure to read 2.4, and those paragraphs around it.

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This article is about radiant light and heat from the Sun that is harnessed using a range of technologies. For more detail about the generation of electricity using solar energy, see Solar power. For the academic journal, see Solar Energy (journal).

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Lots of links to some of the solar basics.

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Explains how to convert solar energy, give pros and cons.

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Solar - Energy Explained, Your Guide To Understanding Energy - Energy Information Administration

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Home > Energy Explained > Renewable Sources > Solar

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Solar energy is the technology used to harness the sun's energy and make it useable. As of 2011, the technology produced less than one tenth of one percent of global energy demand.

Many are familiar with so-called photovoltaic cells, or solar panels, found on things like spacecraft, rooftops, and handheld calculators. The cells are made of semiconductor materials like those found in computer chips. When sunlight hits the cells, it knocks electrons loose from their atoms. As the electrons flow through the cell, they generate electricity.

On a much larger scale, solar-thermal power plants employ various techniques to concentrate the sun's energy as a heat source. The heat is then used to boil water to drive a steam turbine that generates electricity in much the same fashion as coal and nuclear power plants, supplying electricity for thousands of people.

How to Harness Solar Power

In one technique, long troughs of U-shaped mirrors focus sunlight on a pipe of oil that runs through the middle. The hot oil then boils water for electricity generation. Another technique uses moveable mirrors to focus the sun's rays on a collector tower, where a receiver sits. Molten salt flowing through the receiver is heated to run a generator.

Other solar technologies are passive. For example, big windows placed on the sunny side of a building allow sunlight to heat-absorbent materials on the floor and walls. These surfaces then release the heat at night to keep the building warm. Similarly, absorbent plates on a roof can heat liquid in tubes that supply a house with hot water.

Solar energy is lauded as an inexhaustible fuel source that is pollution- and often noise-free. The technology is also versatile. For example, solar cells generate energy for far-out places like satellites in Earth orbit and cabins deep in the Rocky Mountains as easily as they can power downtown buildings and futuristic cars.

Solar energy doesn't work at night without a storage device such as a battery, and cloudy weather can make the technology unreliable during the day. Solar technologies are also very expensive and require a lot of land area to collect the sun's energy at rates useful to lots of people.

Despite the drawbacks, solar energy use has surged at about 20 percent a year over the past 15 years, thanks to rapidly falling prices and gains in efficiency. Japan, Germany, and the United States are major markets for solar cells. With tax incentives, and efficient coordination with energy companies, solar electricity can often pay for itself in five to ten years.

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Solar Power Has Benefits as a Source of Alternative Energy

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Solar energy is the technology used to harness the sun's energy and make it useable. As of 2011, the technology produced less than one tenth of one percent of global energy demand. Many are familiar with so-called photovoltaic cells, or solar panels, found on things like spacecraft, rooftops, and handheld calculators.

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Some history, some facts, some interesting...

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The solar industry is changing rapidly as it experiences unprecedented growth. Here are 6 facts that may surprise you about this increasingly popular source of power.
6. Solar energy is the most abundant energy resource on earth -- 173,000 terawatts of solar energy strikes the Earth continuously. That's more than 10,000 times the world's total energy use.

5. The first silicon solar cell, the precursor of all solar-powered devices, was built by Bell Laboratories in 1954. On the first page of its April 26, 1954 issue, The New York Times proclaimed the milestone, "the beginning of a new era, leading eventually to the realization of one of mankind's most cherished dreams -- the harnessing of the almost limitless energy of the sun for the uses of civilization."

4. The space industry was an early adopter of solar technology. In the 1950s, the space industry began to use solar technology to provide power aboard spacecraft. The Vanguard 1 -- the first artificial earth satellite powered by solar cells -- remains the oldest manmade satellite in orbit -- logging more than 6 billion miles.

3. Today, demand for solar in the United States is at an all-time high. The amount of solar power installed in the U.S. has increased more than 23 times over the past eight years -- from 1.2 gigawatts (GW) in 2008 to an estimated 27.4 GW at the end of 2015. That's enough energy to power the equivalent of 5.4 million average American homes, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. The U.S. is currently the third-largest solar market in the world and is positioned to become the second.

2. As prices continue to fall, solar energy is increasingly becoming an economical energy choice for American homeowners and businesses. Still, the biggest hurdle to affordable solar energy remains the soft costs -- like permitting, zoning and hooking a solar system up to the power gird. On average, local permitting and inspection processes add more than $2,500 to the total cost of a solar energy system and can take up to six months to complete. The SunShot Initiative's soft costs program works to make it faster and cheaper for families and businesses to go solar.

1. California's Mojave Desert is home to Ivanpah Solar Power Facility, the world's largest operating solar thermal energy plant. It uses concentrating solar power (CSP) technology to focus 173,500 heliostats, each containing two mirrors, onto boilers located in three power towers. The plant, which came online in 2014, has a gross capacity of 392 megawatts (MW). CSP technology is unique in that it allows for solar energy to be stored for use after the sun sets -- a key focus for our recent research and development efforts -- which addresses some of the concerns over delivering solar power when and where it is needed most.

Explore our projects in solar energy on the Sunshot Initiative's project map and study up on Solar Energy Basics.

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Top 6 Things You Didn't Know About Solar Energy

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Counting down our list of top things you didn't know about solar energy -- read on for more on the most abundant energy resource known to mankind.

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I love the idea of recording the temperature during this process and didn't realize that the height above the floor may matter. Use probes to meas. temp!