How is solar energy harnessed or gathered?

Question

How is solar energy harnessed or gathered?

Answer 1

1. Photovoltaics - You point them up, and the photons, using quantum burrito meals, produce DC. Then it goes to an inverter, and then nobody gives a ****.

2. Concentrated photovoltaics - You get like a lens to focus more sunlight onto the same area of solar panel. A bit more effective, slightly cheaper per watt. Same thing, in the end.

3. Heat engines - A set of mirrors focuses sunlight at a container of molten salt or something, and the salt acts as a heat resovoir to power a heat engine, like a Stirling engine. This is only currently for power plants.

Answer 2

Photovoltaic cell convert sunlight to  electrical current

Answer 3

As far as I can tell, and I'm very smart if I do say so. Is that the solar energy is collected through MaGiC CraZy beans that jump around on the unicorns head and then f**t into the energy collector that powers the fusion cores.. Simple!