Solar Photovoltaic (PV) system is a solar PV system converts the 'light' from the sun directly into electricity. The collector in this case is an electrical arrangement of a special kind of material which responds to the sunlight by generating electricity.

Traditional hot water heaters burn natural gas/propane or use electricity from the main power grid to heat water for the home. Solar hot water heaters collect their energy from the sun, and use that energy to heat water for use in the home or commercial building. On a basic level, they include a collector, which absorbs energy/heat from the sun, storage tanks for the heated water, and pipes that connect the two together and tie it into the home.