Solar Energy

     Solar energy is not a single energy technology, but a term that covers a diverse set of renewable energy technologies. Their common feature is that, unlike oil, gas, coal, and present forms of nuclear power, solar energy is inexhaustible. Solar energy can be divided into three main groups—heating and cooling applications, electricity generation, and fuels from biomass.

Heating and Cooling

     The sun has been used for heating for centuries. The Mesa Verde cliff dwellings in Colorado were constructed with rock projections that provide shade from the high (and hot) summer sun but allow the rays of the lower winter sun to penetrate. Today a design with few or no moving parts that takes advantage of the sun is called passive solar heating. Beginning in the late 1970s, architects increasingly became familiar with passive solar techniques and, in the future, more and more new buildings will be designed to capture the sun’s winter rays and keep out the summer rays.

     Active solar heating and solar hot-water heating are variations on one theme, differing principally in cost and scale. A typical active solar-heating unit consists of tubes installed in panels that are mounted on a roof. Water (or sometimes another fluid) flowing through the tubes is heated by the sun and is then used as a source of hot water and heat for the building. Although the number of active solar-heating installations has grown rapidly since the 1970s, the industry has encountered simple installation and maintenance problems, involving such ordinary occurrences as water leakage and air blockage. Solar cooling requires a higher technology installation in which a fluid is cooled by being heated to an intermediate temperature so that it can be used to drive a refrigeration cycle. To date, relatively few commercial installations have been made.

Words and expressions

solar energy                                               -        солнечная энергия

single energy technology                           -        единичная энергетическая

                                                                  технология

covers a diverse set                          -        включает в себя разно-

                                                                  образные виды

renewable energy technology           -        восстанавливаемая энерге-

                                                                  тическая технология

common feature                               -        общая черта

inexhaustible                                    -        неисчерпаемый

main group                                      -        основная группа

heating and cooling application                -        применение для обогрева и

                                                                  охлаждения

electricity generation                        -        выработка электричества

fuel from biomass                                     -        топливо из биомасс

cliff dwelling                                    -        жилой дом на крутом

                                                                  склоне

rock projection                                -        скальное проектирование

shade                                               -        тень

ray                                                   -        лучь 

lower winter sun                              -        более низкое зимнее солнце

to penetrate                                               -        проникать

passive solar heating                       -        пассивный солнечный

                                                                  обогрев

to be designed                                  -        быть спроектированным

to capture                                        -        захватывать

keep out the summer rays                         -        не пропускать летние лучи

variation on one theme                    -        вариация на тему

cost and scale                                   -        цена и масштаб

installed tubes                                  -        установленные трубки

to be mounted on a roof                            -        быть смонтированным на

                                                                  крыше

flowing through                               -        протекающий через

to encounter                                     -        сталкиваться, наталкиваться

simple installation                                     -        простая установка

maintenance problem                       -        проблема ремонта

ordinary occurrence                         -        обычное происшествие

water leakage                                   -        утечка воды

air blockage                                               -        болкирование потока воздуха

intermediate temperature                          -        промежуточная темпиратура

refrigeration cycle                                      -        охлаждающий цикл