Can some one explain to the minions the difference between active and passive solar energy?

Question

I've been to green living enviromental etc...theres some really strange people thinking that all solar energy is bad.Help the ignorant please.

Answer 1

Why does anyone think any solar energy is bad (did they get a sunburn?).  Anyway, I think the difference between active and passive solar energy is that passive solar energy is the absorption of the heat from sunlight to heat space in a house, pre-heat water going into water heaters or heating pool water.  Active solar would be solar panels that generates electricity, etc. I'm not positive, but that may be the difference.

Answer 2

It's pretty simple, but only through example.

If you're using "daylighting," for example a skylight (although this more specifically refers to things like "sun-tubes," that's passive.  The light comes from the sun directly into the building, without the use of electricity.

If you're using PhotoVoltaic Panels (or PV panels) which convert it to DC energy, that then is either directly inverted, or goes to a battery bank, and is then inverted, and you're lighting a light bulb with it, that's Active.

Passive has a few more uses as well.  For example, you can use it for heat, or hot-water heating, or supposedly an ancient form of "air-conditioning" known as a solar chimney, but the above to paragraphs give you the basic gist.  

If you're not making electric with it, it's passive, if you are, it's active.

Answer 3

Minnions? what's that?>