Many people think of alternative solar energy as a new technology, but humans have been using this process to heat homes and baths for thousands of years. Alternative solar energy refers to energy from the sun that can be captured and used just like energy created by fossil fuels. The great benefit of solar energy is that its source, the sun, is not diminished by use of the energy,therefore making this type of power system (1).There are several different methods of collecting and using alternative solar energy. One of (2), usually seen as solar panels. Solar panels can be a very good means of collecting solar energy, but do have some drawbacks.While panels have the advantage of quickly turning absorbed solar radiation into usable energy, they are extremely (3). This means that much of the potential power of absorbed light is lost in the transfer process.Thermal solar energy is primarily used to create heat, such as for homes, baths, and swimming pools. In a thermal system,(4), which then passes through a pipe system where it mixes with water, generating steam.Steam is then passed through a turbine system, which turns it into usable energy. Despite sounding like a more complex process than photovoltaic systems use thermal alternative solar energy is often far more (5) and is able to retain and use more of the collected energy directly for heating.