Comparison and analysis of electricity generation techniques from solar energy

Depending on the development of technology, the amount of energy consumed per person is increasing day by day, and with this increasing energy demand, fossil-based energy sources are alsor apidly decreasing. The fact that the increase in CO2 emissions due to the consumption of fossil-based resources harms the environment encourages the world to search for alternative sources. The sun is a renewable, clean and endless source of energy that forms the basis of energy resources and can meet all the energy needs of humanity. This energy has been used for many years. The energy coming from the sun on the total land mass for 270 minutes is equal to the energy consumed all over the world in 1 year. Explanations on the use of solar energy and how this raw energy will be converted with various existing and developing solar Technologies are within the scope of this thesis. This thesis presents the solar energy revolution, its current situation and its applications as a renewable energy source. The aim of this thesis is to comprehensively examine and compare the direct and indirect ways of generating electricity from solar energy. It provides insight into how different solar technologies perform, their advantages, short comings and challenges. Its focus is on electricity generation technologies from solar energy. In this thesis, photovoltaic (PV) cells, which directly converts solar energy to electrical energy, and concentrated solar energy (CSP) technology, which indirectly condenses solar energy and generates electrical energy from super heated steam, are examined in detail, classified among them selves and compared technically. A comprehensive literaturere view has been conducted on electricity generation methods from solar energy and various technologies of these methods. The literature review was carried out in threes tages. In the first stage, Electricity Production Methods from Solar Energy were examined in general and its general scheme was created. In the second stage, photovoltaic cells, their structures and types are generally examined and explained. In the third stage, concentrated solar energy systems including Parabolic Through Concentrators, Central Receiver Concentrators, Linear Fresnel Concentrators and Parabolic Dish Concentrators are examined and detailed. Finally, electricity generation systems from solar energy were compared and conclusions were reach.