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Solar Energy Generating Systems
Solar Energy Generating Systems (SEGS) is a group of nine parabolic trough solar thermal power plants in California's Mojave Desert, built between 1984 and 1990 and developed by Luz International.
Solar Energy Industries Association
The Solar Energy Industries Association, founded in 1974, is the national trade association for the U.S. solar and energy storage industry, representing about 1,000 member companies.
Solar furnace
A solar furnace is a research installation concentrating sunlight with mirrors to melt metals, test materials, and drive chemical reactions; the largest, at Odeillo, France, reaches 3,300 °C.
Solar heat gain coefficient
The solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) measures the fraction of solar radiation a window, door, or skylight admits as heat, with lower values blocking more heat and suiting hot climates.
Solar Impulse
Solar Impulse, also called the Solar Impulse Project, is a Swiss solar aircraft project founded by Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg that circled the world on solar power in 2016.
Solar inverter
A solar inverter, or photovoltaic (PV) inverter, is a device that converts the direct current electricity from solar panels into alternating current for the grid.
Solar irradiance forecasting
Solar irradiance forecasting is the prediction of solar radiation reaching the ground over horizons from minutes to several days, underpinning photovoltaic power forecasting and grid operation.
Solar Maximum Mission
The Solar Maximum Mission, known as SolarMax, was a NASA solar observatory launched in February 1980 that observed solar flares and was repaired in orbit in 1984, the first such servicing.
Solar One (Barstow, California)
Solar One was a 10 MW solar thermal power tower pilot plant near Barstow, California, operated from 1982 to 1988 by the Department of Energy and utility partners.
Solar Orbiter
Solar Orbiter is a Sun-observing spacecraft of the European Space Agency with NASA participation, launched in 2020 to study the Sun from as close as 42 million km.
Solar panel
A solar panel, also called a solar PV module, is an assembly of solar cells sealed between protective layers that converts sunlight directly into electricity.
Solar particle event
A solar particle event, also called a solar proton event, is an intense burst of energetic particles from the Sun, associated with solar flares and coronal mass ejections.
Solar pond
A solar pond is a body of water that collects and stores solar energy as heat, typically using a salt gradient that traps warm, salty water at the bottom.
Solar power
Solar power, also called solar electricity, converts sunlight into electricity through photovoltaic cells or concentrating solar-thermal systems, and is now the fastest-growing source of new electricity capacity.
Solar power by country
Solar power by country covers how photovoltaic capacity and generation are distributed worldwide. By 2025 global PV capacity reached 2.96 TW, and solar supplied 8.7% of global electricity, led by China.
Solar power in China
Solar power in China generates electricity from photovoltaic panels and concentrated solar thermal plants; China holds the largest installed capacity, manufacturing industry, and annual market.
Solar power in Germany
Solar power in Germany is electricity from photovoltaic systems, reaching 117 GW of installed capacity by the end of 2025, one of two pillars of renewables alongside wind.
Solar power in India
Solar power in India, also known as solar energy in India, grew from 2.82 GW of installed capacity in 2014 to 105.65 GW by March 2025.
Solar power in Japan
Solar power in Japan is the generation of electricity from photovoltaic systems, which grew rapidly after the 2012 feed-in tariff and supplied 9.2% of Japan's electricity in FY 2022.
Solar power in the United States
Solar power in the United States, also called solar energy in the United States, converts sunlight into electricity through photovoltaic panels and solar-thermal plants, supplying about 7% of utility-scale generation in 2025.
Solar power tower
A solar power tower is a concentrating solar power plant whose heliostat mirrors focus sunlight on a receiver atop a central tower to generate electricity.
Solar process heat
Solar process heat, also called Solar Heat for Industrial Processes (SHIP), is heat from solar thermal collectors supplied to industrial processes below about 250 °C.
Solar sail
A solar sail, also known as a light sail, is a spacecraft propulsion method in which a large reflective membrane is pushed by sunlight pressure, giving propellant-free thrust.
Solar salt
Solar salt is a molten 60/40 blend of sodium and potassium nitrate used in concentrating solar power plants to store heat for generating electricity after sunset.
Solar shingles
Solar shingles, also called solar roof tiles, are photovoltaic cells that look and function like conventional roofing materials while generating electricity, commercially available since 2005 and costing 60 to 190 percent more than solar panels.
Solar Star
Solar Star, formerly Antelope Valley Solar Projects, is a 579 MW photovoltaic power plant near Rosamond, California, the world's largest when completed in June 2015.
Solar still
A solar still, a form of solar distillation, is a device that purifies saline or contaminated water using only sunlight, collecting condensed vapor as fresh water.
Solar thermal collector
A solar thermal collector, or solar heat collector, is a device that converts sunlight into useful heat for hot water, space heating, and industrial processes.
Solar thermal energy
Solar thermal energy, also called solar thermal electric power, is heat captured from sunlight, used for water heaters, industry, and concentrating power plants, unlike photovoltaics.
Solar thermochemical fuel production
Solar thermochemical fuel production uses concentrated sunlight to split water and CO2 into hydrogen or syngas, which can be converted into drop-in fuels like kerosene.