The solar panels charge the battery during daylight periods and the battery will provide power to the inverter whenever required. The inverter transforms the 12 volt batteries DC power into 120 volt AC power. This is the most useful kind of current for majority of applications. The charge controller will terminate the charging once the battery reaches the full charge. More Solar Power Terrestrial solar power is a predictable and intermittent source of energy, which means even though solar power is not readily available all the time, people can still predict it using a certain degree of accuracy when the energy source will or will not be available. A number of technologies, like the solar thermal concentrators, include an element of thermal storage, such as molten salts. Convection is the heat transfer by a moving fluid such as water or air. Radiation is the direct transfer of heat through space via electromagnetic waves coming from a warmer object to a cooler object. Choosing the Application Knowing the various types of heat transfer will help you choose the ideal application that will ultimately become beneficial for your home or office. The systems can be either air-based or liquid-based. Air-based systems use rock bins or thermal mass, while liquid-based systems use thermal mass or water tanks. Active solar water heating can heat water in the home with the use of pumps. There are two kinds of solar water heating systems namely direct and indirect systems. Another popular method of solar power generation is through the use of photovoltaic devices. The devices are made to use photovoltaic cells or solar cells to transform solar energy into DC electricity. There are plenty of ways to collect solar energy such as through parabolic troughs, solar panels, solar dishes and solar power towers that have reflecting mirrors. Cheap and Easy People do not have to keep maintaining solar cells, because a panel can last about 30 years or more if well kept. Solar cells can also be made from very cheap materials. You can even construct the panels yourself. You can purchase ready-to-build solar cell panels over the internet. The materials will be delivered right to your doorstep in just a matter of days.